Child of the Darkness
by NIkly
Summary: When Darkness devours a heart, light becomes weaker. The purer is the innocence, the deeper is the dark. My first fiction.
1. Betrayal

**Be****fore starting, I'd like to say a few things to help you understanding some things of my story:**

**Here I'm following the comics storyline, so original characters of the TV show like Blunk here don't exist.**

**Here the girls are sixteen and, as in the comics, the Oracle of Kandrakar is Yan Lin and not Himerish, who gave up his title. And yes, I spell Kandrakar and not candracar.**

**Luba here is not the Aurameres' Keeper, because in the comics she sacrificed herself to stop Nerissa. **

**I do not own W.I.T.C.H., it's owned by Disney. But I own my OC's and my imagination.**

**And, yes, this is my first story so please, if you like it, tell me with a review. Critics are welcome and accepted, but they must be constructive. No wild flames.**

**Now, sorry for the waiting and I hope you'll enjoy my story.**

1. **Betrayal**

Kandrakar was quiet, that evening. The corridors were desert, only occasionally a lonely Sage in white dress walked through the white rooms of the Fortress.  
This fact was really welcome by a hooded figure in white dress that walked quickly and wished to remain anonymous. The unknown figure covered rapidly the distance that separated him from his destination.

The Auramere's Room.

He pushed the door and entered. Lyian, the Auramere's Keeper, turned his head toward the entrance:

"Who are you?" he inquired. "You can't stay here."

As an answer, the unknown person hit him with an energy charge. Lyian fell on the floor, almost unconscious for the attack. The attacker ignored him and walked toward the Aurameres, the Guardians' power nucleus. He extended his hands toward a dark purple Auramere and absorbed it; the Auramere's light faded and purple halo surrounded the figure, who turned toward the other Powers:

"Mmmh… maybe it's better not to be too greedy…" he said to himself, "What d'ya think?" he asked the Sage.

But Liyan wasn't there anymore. He had taken advantage of his opponent's distraction to escape and give the alarm.

"Oh… things are getting interesting…" he smiled under his hood.

He left the room and started to run. He ran alone for a couple of corridors, but when he came in a wide circular room about twenty armed guards circled him and forced him to stop.

"Stop and surrender, in the name of the Oracle!" exclaimed an armoured warrior. "Give back what you stole!" The intruder shook his head and attacked with two strong energy strikes.

The guards parried the attack and charged the intruder; but he was fast and strong because of the stolen power. Almost ten defenders were wiped out by the invincible power of the pure energy Auramere.

"ENOUGH!" roared a voice.

All the fighters stopped. An old woman walked in the room and stopped in the middle: she was Yan Lin, Kandrakar's Oracle. The Oracle stopped in front of the hooded figure and fixed her eyes on him:

"You thief!" she exclaimed with hard voice. "How do you dare do steal from the Fortress one of its powers? Reveal yourself and maybe this will soften your punishment."

The other shook his head without saying anything, but Yan Lin saw a flash of white teeth coming from under the hood. He was _smiling_, he was finding this _funny._

"Well… if this is your thinking I have no other choice… I will use strong manners." Yan Lin said.

The intruder tried to hit her with an energy ray, but the Oracle easily avoided it.

"Your power is not enough" She said, "that was a foolish move."

She was charged with new attacks that went against her light barrier with no damage. Yan Lin took aim and attacked; her blow hit the target and the mysterious intruder fell badly on the ground. The Oracle stepped forward, but she immediately stopped when she saw that her opponent was panting and trying to get up again.

"And now you will show your face!" commanded Yan Lin waving her hand. A strong, sharp, wind hit the intruder covering him with scratches and taking away his hood.

Yan Lin almost made her barrier fall for the surprise. She stared at the figure toward her, not wanting to believe:

"Will?"

The redhead Guardian rose and touched her neck where, to her great disappointment, was a long, red scratch.

"Yes… it's me, Yan Lin." She looked away, not wanting to look at the old lady in front of her.

"But… why?" Yan Lin asked. "Why did you do this?" She was astonished. And hurted.

"I only aimed for more power." Will explained, always refusing to look into her eyes, "My power makes me feel… so good! I wanted it to remain forever. And I wanted more." She concluded, finally meeting Yan Lin's eyes.

Will's gaze was cold and confident. Yan Lin saw in that gaze the same expression that used to belong to her lost friend, Nerissa, many years ago.

"So… is this the truth, Will?" She asked another time, But Will rose her shoulders:

"That's my choice. Maybe I'm going to regret this, but this is what I want."

"I'm sorry, but then I have no choice, I must stop you." Yan Lin said.

An enormous light circled Yan Lin and swallowed the entire room, hitting also Will. When she was hit, Will lost all the stolen power which had adsorbed before. Will, with the last glimmer of power, attacked Yan Lin surprising her. The Oracle fell and the girl took the opportunity to escape and vanish.

A guard rushed to Yan Lin's help. The Oracle sadly stared at the point where Will had vanished:

"Go to Will's home…" she ordered with broken voice, "take her and bring her back!"

**Short, this chapter was short. I hope to update the second soon: _End of a dream._**


	2. End of a dream

**Ok, second chapter! The next ones may take a while, because I first write them in my language and then I translate then. But I'll try not to delay too much.**

2. **End of a dream**

The redhead materialized in Heaterfiel in a dark, quiet room. She grimaced while she touched her wounded neck:

"What a pity… I didn't succeed…" she sighed. But then she smiled and walked toward the bed where an identical girl was sleeping in, completely unaware of the last facts.

"Or maybe I should say that YOU didn't succeed, Will…"

She put her finger on the forehead of the sleeping girl and that started to glow:

"This is for the memories." Said the false Will. "And this," she continued, wounding her on the neck in her same way, "is for the bothering."

The real Will moved in her sleep but didn't wake up. The other girl ended her spell, then stopped for an instant to gaze at the sleeping figure:

"How pitiful." She said, raising her shoulders, "That was an amazing power. But it's not important… I won't pay for that…eh." She vanished in a flash of blue light, smiling for the last time.

Will POV:

Will was having a nightmare. She was dreaming of becoming evil just like Nerissa. She was also dreaming about attacking Kandrakar and Yan Lin and stealing all her power forever. But then she was stopped and forced to run away. She took refuge in her bed, hoping that the Fortress could close an eye only for that time…  
A deafening noise suddenly woke her up. She was completely disoriented and, before knowing what the heck was going on, she found herself immobilized.

"What… what's happening?" she exclaimed. "Who are you?"

"Do not move!" one of her attackers ordered. "I declare you under arrest in the name of Kandrakar, Willhelmina Vandom, Guardian of the Fortress."

Now Will could vaguely see who was in her room: She was immobilized by three guards in a white armour, and a fourth guard, the one who had spoken, was pointing at her face a long and storied lance.

"Well, you surely are a brave one" the guard commented, "coming to Kandrakar to steal and wounding Yan Lin… and then going to sleep as if nothing happened!"

What? She did _what_? She stole? She _wounded_ Yan Lin! Will shook her head with wide-opened eyes:

"Are you kidding me? There absolutely must be a mistake!" She exclaimed.

The guard then pulled back her hair that covered her neck and touched her wound. Will cried out with pain.

"No mistake." The guard replied. "Or you can explain this wound?"

Will was silent. The dream she was doing had come true! It was a nightmare, maybe she was still dreaming…  
It was impossible that she did those things. That was only a dream and you can't control dreams, right?  
But she couldn't explain the scratch on her neck. She stood still and silent, not capable to give the guards a logic explanation.  
The guards forced her on her feet. The one who had pointed the lance at her, the leader, extended his hand toward the bed and materialised a copy of the girl who replaced Will among the blankets.

"_Bad, this is really bad…"_ Will thought alarmed, while she watched her double taking her place.

The squad of guards vanished and Will suddenly found herself in a Kandrakar's room, dressed in a dark red robe. Her heart began to beat wildly with fear:

"Where is Yan Lin?" She asked desperately, "I want to talk with her!"

"She's explaining the situation to the other Guardians. You are going to meet her soon."

The whole thing was becoming serious. Half an hour ago she was sleeping in her bed and her main concern was nothing more than the Physics test of the next day. But now the school and her room seemed light years away.

They waited, silent, for ages. Will stared at her enchained wrists and struggled to hold back the tears. She was sure that if she could speak with the Oracle everything would come out right, in the end, because Yan Lin would have realized that she was innocent.

A sudden noise made her jump. She look up and she saw Tibor, one of the oldest Sages of the Fortress, coming toward them. He had a serious and a severe look on his face:

"Willhelmina Vandom, Guardian and Keeper of the Heart, you have been summoned to court. The entire assembly will judge you in a Trial for your despicable actions."

"What…?"

She almost fell on her knees. She let herself be guided by the guards without saying anything:

"_It's a dream." _She kept thinking, _"only a dream…"_

She was introduced in a wide and circular room: it was the place where the sages gathered. The entire Assemby was there, they were all sitting on their high seats and they were looking at her with accusing eyes. But Will had eyes only for the figure in front of her:

The Oracle was there with a painful look on her face. Next to her stood the other Kandrakar Guardians, Irma, Cornelia, Taranee and Hay Lin. All four of them were pale and shaken, with the face of someone who has just received terrible news.

"Yan Lin!" Will cried when she saw her, "What the…?"

"Silence." Suddenly Will missed her voice and she remained silent. "Let's begin with the Trial." Ordered the Oracle:

"Willhelmina Vandom!" she began, with a booming voice that seemed not even belong to her, "You are accused of coming to Kandrakar without permission and attempted to seized one of the Aurameres' powers, the one from which comes your power. You are accused of resisting and assaulting the Oracle of Kandrakar, what have you to say for yourself?" She waved her hand and Will felt her voice back.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Will exclaimed in tears, "I've never done such a thing!"

"Therefore you deny it?" the Oracle asked. "You deny all the accusations?"

Wil remained silent. She was sure of her innocence. But how could she explain that everything Yan Lin had just said was nothing more than a dream of hers?

"I… deny. Everything you have said is not true!" She replied. Some of the Sages reacted at those words with angered exclamations, others shook their head sadly. Yan Lin approached Will. She looked serious, so much that the girl felt crushed by that stern look.

"So you have no objection in providing the Assembly with your memories." She affirmed. "You have no objection to let me look in your mind."

"I…no, I haven't." Will answered.

The Oracle nodded and put her hands on Will's temples. Will felt slightly dazed while the old lady explored her thoughts.

The reading lasted a few minutes. When it was finished Yan Lin walked away and said:

"Your thoughts have confirmed your actions. Your memories reflect you while you come here and steal the power."

"No!" the girl cried, desperately, "That was a dream… a damn dream!"

"Then explain this, Will." The Oracle said solemnly while she pulled back her hair to reveal the Assembly the wound on her neck.

"This scratch is the proof of your guilt. It was done to you during the fight. Do you have something else to say?"

Will was silent. Her hand went to cover the scratch on her neck.

The Oracle shook her head. She seemed devastated, Will knew that now she was seeing in her the friend she had lost in the same way many years ago. Will turned toward the other girls and pleaded in a voice broken by sobs:

"You… you believe me, right? You believe that I am innocent!"

But the girls looked away. Taranee clenched her fists as if she wanted to retain herself, but Irma stepped forward and spoke:

"Will… Hay Lin's grandma summoned us before you. She said that you attempted to steal some power, but we didn't believe her. Then, she showed us her memories. But we kept believing in your innocence.  
But then, when she examined YOUR thoughts we have seen them too. Everyone have seen them. Why... Why did you do that, Will? Why?"

"No, wait, I…" began Will, but Hay Lin interrupted her. She was crying while Cornelia supported her:

"Will, you… you tried to hurt my grandmother! And you also have the courage to say no? Answer me!"

Will was speechless. She was unable to metabolize the whole thing, her whole mind seemed to be hollow and poor of coherent thoughts. From an infinite distance she heard again Yan Lin's voice talking:

"In accordance with the fact that you have always been a loyal Guardian you will only be stripped of your powers and sent back to Earth. You will never more return here and you will never attempt to harm someone again. You won't be a Guardian anymore and you won't have right to your Eternal Gift."

After she finished talking a strong light wrapped Will. In a instant she found herself stripped of all her power and she returned to be a normal sixteen years old girl.

"The girls will bring you to your home. You can go now." The Oracle dismissed them. The Assembly retired, leaving Will alone with the other girls. She tried for one last time:

"So you… you don't believe me?" She asked, almost pleading. But this time the girls responded with anger:

"Shut up, Will, don't insult us again with this act! Why you don't just surrender to the evidence? I've never thought that you were such a coward!"

"No! I…"

"We have nothing more to say, Will."

"The girls brought Will back to her home and left without saying a word. And Will remained alone, alone as she was not ever been.

**Thank you to all readers and reviewers. I'm having fun in writing this story and I hope you'll have in reading it.**

**Third one will be: **_**The worst day of my life**_**.**


	3. The worst day of my life

**I don't own W.I.T.C.H. It's from Disney.**

3. **The worst day of my life**

Next day there was a moment when Will woke up, in which she thought that it had been all a dream. But then she clearly felt the hollow caused by her power's loss and she felt cold. She shut her eyes to not to cry and got up.

"The breakfast's already on the table" her mother informed her, "hurry up, you're late."

"Mh… I think I'll pass."

Susan glanced at Will, surprised. It was really rare that Will skipped breakfast.

"Will, honey, are you all right?" she asked her, worried. "You're pale."

"Nah… nothing serious… Physics test in the first hour. I'm only nervous." Will lied and attempted to smile. She did it and that convinced Susan:

"Ok… Good luck then!"

"Thank you." Will answered.

She left her home. The sounds of the town, the passing cars, the odours, everything on the way which brought to Sheffield came to her as it was muffled. But at the school's sight, when she saw all those boys and girls waiting near the entrance, she suddenly felt sick and had to stop.

How could she face the other girls? The others would have asked her for explanations, and they would have to be _convincing_.

But she hadn't.

She walked toward the entrance with heavy heart. She didn't meet none of the girls in the corridors but she couldn't avoid Cornelia, who was in her same class. The blonde one, when she saw Will, turned her head on the opposite side.

"G_reat…"_ Will thought, _"A great start."_

The Physics test began. But Will's thoughts were definitively elsewhere. She could not stop thinking about what had happened; the formulas below her had no meaning. She wrote nothing.  
Those where probably the worst spent hours of her whole life. She stared at her bench without actually seeing it. She heard the teacher's voice without listening to it.  
She greeted the break with a sigh of relief. She was about to exit out of the class but Cornelia stopped her grabbing her arm:

"We have to talk." She said.

She took her outside in the garden, where Taranee, Irma, Hay Lin and Matt were waiting for them. Will blushed at the sight of her boyfriend.

"We're waiting for an explanation." Cornelia started. The others nodded.

"Well, I explained myself yesterday" Will replied, "but you didn't believe me."

"Listen Will, even if we want to believe you with all of ourselves, there is evidence!" exclaimed Taranee. "And yet you insist with that dream-thing? Do you think we're stupid or what?"

"Tara…" Will started, but the girl interrupted her. She had tears in her eyes and she seemed betrayed. "I thought we were best friends, but instead you're just like Nerissa. You disappointed me, Will. You disappointed us."

"If you don't have a better story, Will, this talk's already finished." Matt said.

"Matt, even you don't want to listen to me?" exclaimed Will, who couldn't believe it. She _knew_ that, she knew that all was against her, but nobody wanted to trust her. Not even Matt, who had loved her so far.

"Will, I was there, I saw the Trial." Matt said. "And do you want to know something? You didn't convinced me. I think that you realized that you were wrong, but keeping to deny your guilt only brings you to the wrong again."

At that point a great sadness and anger rose in Will. Nobody believed her… not even her own friends! Great, if things were so, they could go to hell.

"I will not change what I said." Will said with trembling voice.

"Then you've done with us." Taranee replied, clenching her fists. At that moment the bell rang.

"Goodbye Will." Taranee said while she went away followed by Irma and Hay Lin. Cornelia was already gone.

Matt was the last one. Will looked at him with hope one last time, but the boy looked away and walked away.

Will didn't return to class. She walked away from the school toward the town. She felt heartbroken and fragile, as if she was about to shatter in a million of pieces.

She reached a park and sat on a bench. She lowered her head and started to cry before she could stop. Her last logic thought before surrendering herself to tears was that she would have probably cried out all of her tears soon.  
She remained in that park for hours, until evening fell. When Will started to feel the cold, she got up and returned home, but when she entered Susan welcomed her with a serious look on her face:

"Will, where have you been?" Susan asked harshly.

"Out for a walk." Will replied with hollow voice.

"Out. For a walk. The school called me this afternoon, they told me that you didn't return into class after the break. And they also told me that you didn't' wrote anything in your test. What is the meaning of this?" She asked her.

"Nothing." Will answered. She didn't wanted to listen anymore… she only wanted to remain alone. "It means what you just said. I left the school and I didn't do the test. It has no meaning, it is what it is."

"What a stupid answer!" Susan exclaimed, upset. "Will, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing!" Will replied, exausted. "I only want to stay… alone!" She immediately regretted to have responded in that way, but it was too late. She saw her mother become rigid and closing her eyes menacingly:

"Very well. Then, since that you want it, you will be left alone. Go to your room and stay there."

"Mom, I'm sorry…" Will tried to say.

"Are you still here?"

Will had no choice than to go to her bedroom. She sat on the floor and stared at the ceiling above her.

The only sound in the room was her painful heart's pulse. She closed her eyes trying to ignore an incoming headache.

"This is too much… really…" she whispered to no one in particular. "I'd really want to… disappear…"

She couldn't know that soon her request would have been answered.

**Thank you all who read. I saw that lots of you asked: "How could the girls turn on Will so quickly? How could Yan Lin…" **

**Well, I think that when anger rose, it blinds reason (personal experience). People don't want to listen to you because they're mad at you. In this case… time can help. **

**But how much time will have to pass before is too late? I think that next chapter will answer. **

**Ah, yes, I planned this story as a long fiction. Then, if I don't answer your question in A/N maybe it's because I'm planning in giving an explanation later in the story.**

**Argh, mosquitoes are killing me. I had five in my room yesterday… they devoured me.**

**Next chapter will be: **_**Greeting the darkness**_**.**


	4. Greeting the darkness

4. **Greeting the darkness**

'_Destiny leads us to the victory's path. What Kandrakar rejected… soon will be ours.'_

Two weeks passed. If Will had thought that the day next the Trial would have been the worst of her life… she was wrong.

The girls still refused to talk with her. Cornelia seemed to be the more angry of the four, Taranee the more hurted. Will was tired of dealing with their accusing gazes. It was like a physical pain that prevented her from thinking and doing anything.

She began skipping school to not to see the other WITCH. She spent her days around without a purpose, she was unable to go back from the abyss of dark thoughts in which she had sunk. When Susan discovered from Dean that Will was no longer going to school she went on a rampage. But when she asked Will what was wrong she didn't replied, with the result of anger her mother even more. Susan was so angry that she almost didn't speak to Will anymore. And this didn't help.

Will sighed when she let herself fall on a park's bench. The sky was grey and looked like rain; a strong wind was blowing and soon evening would have come. She thought that if her mood could have a colour, it probably would have been like that sky.  
The first raindrops began to fall and hit her on her face, melting with her tears.

Why, _why_ nobody believed to her? Were all their years of friendship really that useless? Why none of her friends, or even Matt, had tried to make it up with her after that the whole thing?

And yet she had not hatred toward them. She was only sad. That was how she felt… only a great, big, sadness…

She clenched her fists. Very well, if she was condemned to remain alone, she would have gone ahead even without them. She didn't need friends if then they had to abandon you causing such a pain. She would no longer trusted anyone. She suddenly stood up from the bench and she walked resolutely toward the park's exit under the heavy rain. She hastened to leave because she had the strange feeling that someone was spying her. And that was strange because she was alone in the park and not even the cars were passing on the street.  
While she was walking on the way which led out the park a sudden noise made her jump.

She looked back, but nobody was there.

"Who's there?" She cried, nervous. "Is anybody here?"

Now she was beginning to fear. Because she was alone in that park… but then why she could _feel_ some presence surrounding her? That was a sharp feeling, it was as she could feel them even if she could not see them. But how could that be? She had no longer power, even her Eternal Gift was no longer here. Maybe she was going crazy.

She started to run toward the exit. But strangely she never reached it. The way seemed to become longer and now the park looked like a real labyrinth. The sparse trees had given way to dark hedges covered by thorns. What the hell was going on?

Will stopped, breathless. The sky was now dark grey and the rain even more insistent. Suddenly around her strange hooded figures wrapped in long black cloaks appeared. They were everywhere: on the roadside, behind her, they were even upon the hedges. They stood still and seemed to stared at her, leaving her only one way to escape. Will, in fear, rushed toward that way without thinking. Every time she tried to change her path the hooded figures appeared among wisps of black smoke and blocked the passage.

Will felt trapped, she couldn't doing anything more than advance more and more in that strange maze. Suddenly she came to a round clearing in which was a big stone fountain without water. Will slowed down and walked to it: it was old and dusty and it seemed to be decades old.

"Welcome."

Will rose her head all of a sudden: a few metres away from her stood a figure dressed in black without hood who was looking at her.

He was a tall man, very tall, pale-skinned and with long black hair. His features were sharp and delicate, almost feminine. But it was the eyes which captured Will's full attention: they were amber, and cruel: they were staring at her with a flash of amusement and curiosity beyond the golden curtain.

Will stepped back: "Who are you?" she asked.

"My name is Rifel." The other replied without saying another word.

"What… what do you want?" exclaimed Will. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here for you, child. For you and for your power."

Will grimaced: "Then you are misinformed. I have no power, not anymore. And I am no longer even a Guardian, I was discharged. So, if you're here to try to defeat the Guardians and you wanted to start with me in order to weaken them, well, you're out of luck. I can't be of any help for your plans." She said.

Rifel laughed softly, amused, and took a few steps toward her. Although she was aware that that man was an enemy to be feared, she didn't try to run away. Rifel didn't seem to be hostile; and however she couldn't do anything to protect herself. In any case she was trapped.

"But I believe you can be" he said her softly, "infinitely." He reached her and stopped:

"Join me and my men, Will. Join me and I will awaken your power!"

"Go away!" she shouted back, "I have no longer power!"

How long did they want to make fun of her? She was sick of depending on the lack of Kandrakar's power and she didn't want to be forced to remember that for _every second of her time_. She shivered all of a sudden and had the clear feeling of being in danger. She instinctively lowered her head and she saw a sharp blade passing above her head from behind. If she hadn't lowered her head, at that time she would have stopped worrying about anything.

"So tell me," Rifel asked her calmly, "How could you feel the blade if you do not have power?"

Will was silent. Her heart was pounding for the scare, but she couldn't explain how she could be still safe.

She slowly looked up to meet the amber eyes of the Black Mage in front of her. She reached out her hand and she grabbed his sleeve holding it tightly:

"What does it mean?" she asked.

Rifel stooped to whisper in her ear:

"You have an enormous power… an incredible power. A power that belongs only to you and which doesn't come from Kandrakar. I know because, studying on ancient and forbidden books the magic lineage, I've come up to you.  
I found you and now I want you with me. Until now your strength had been forcibly asleep because of the presence of another power, the one which came from Kandrakar. But now that the Fortress abandoned you you're free to release it, Will."

"Kandrakar… does it know about this?" Will asked.

"I don't know." The Mage answered. "But I don't think so. If the Fortress had known, it would have used other methods to make sure of obtaining your power. The Sages are astute, child, Guardians are chosen at a young age so that their minds can be shaped as they prefer. And who disagrees with them is locked up or eliminated. Or abandoned."

Will didn't want to believe to him, but his words were beginning to infiltrate in her mind.

"Is it… is it your fault if I am in this situation now?" Will asked staring at him. "Are you behind all this?"

Rifel calmly returned the look: "No." He answered wryly. "I simply waited for the best time. I can magically swear you that I didn't plot against you in order to have Kandrakar turned against you."

"Do it."

Rifel got up his sleeve and revealed a pale-skinned arm. He materialized in the other hand a blade and accosted it to his skin:

"Now I will swear." He said. "If I'm lying my blood will turn into fire and it will burn me. But if I'm saying the truth then you'll know it. Now extend your hand."

Will obeyed, a bit hesitant. Rifel started to cut his skin with the blade:

"I, Rifel, swear to never have plotted against you, Willhelmina Vandom, in order to have you rejected and abandoned by Kandrakar. I swear by this blade and by this blood, and that my magic can burn me forever, if I lie."

The blood began to flow slowly from the wound. Nothing happened. The drops ran slowly down his forearm and fell on Will's open hand. And at that very moment the girl distinctly felt that what he was saying was the truth. The magic was _speaking_ to her and it was speaking in favour of the Mage. Will closed her hand and looked down feeling her last hope, and illusion, fall.

"They thrown you away" he continued, "just like an broken toy. They abandoned you, although you were suffering. You gave all yourself for the Fortress, you risked your life countless times, and look at your prize. You're alone under the rain, without nobody."

Rifel touched with his fingers the long scratch on Will's neck and completely healed it.

"Come with me and I will teach you to control your power."

"If I came with you…" Will asked almost voiceless, "what would I do? What would you want in return?"

"Obedience. I will be your master and you will be my apprentice. If you accept I'll pretend total obedience from you. As you can see I'm not lying to you. I won't hide from you my true will. I want you to put your power at my disposal and in return I will completely release it; you will know every part of yourself, even those which were previously asleep."

"And if I did not want to accept?"

Rifel looked at her seriously: "If you don't accept" he said, "then I will have to kill you. Because I cannot tolerate such a great power out of my control.  
You have two choices: to live and learn to rely only on yourself and on your strength, or to die here and now."

"This is not a real choice." Will replied, wiping her face from the rain.

"No, it isn't." Rifel agreed, "But life is rarely fair. Fairy tales don't exist. And you have nothing to lose in following me, since everyone has left you."

Leaving behind everything… to greet something totally new. Will looked up at the sky and she saw it dark, dark as the future she could see before her.  
But she was not afraid. Kandrakar, with its light and its white rooms, had been far more ruthless and cruel. Now darkness only seemed a quiet place where she could rest and close her eyes.

Rifel held out his hand.

And Will took it.

"From now on, call me Lord Rifel." He said to her.

"Yes… my Lord."

The man and the girl disappeared in the rain and so did the black-dressed figures. The maze vanished, like a dream, to give way again to the empty Heaterfield's Park.

**Thank you to all of you readers… reviewers… and readers-reviewers. Now I'm going to abandon Will's POV for a while and pick up a different POW.**

**I hope you liked this chapter, see you later with the fifth: **_**Fights and regrets.**_


	5. Fights and regrets

**I don't own W.I.T.C.H. it's from Disney.**

**But Rifel is my OC.**

5.** Fights and regrets**

'_She's crying, she's crying loudly. So much to lose her voice, so much to bleed. __But there's no one beside her. She's alone and nobody hears her. But if it is so, is she really crying?_

* * *

It was raining outside and it was almost evening. Four special girls were trying to do their homework at Irma's home.

"Irma" Taranee tried for the millionth time, "repeat with me: 'The sum of the areas of the two squares on the legs…"

"…"

"Equals the area…"

"…"

"Of the square…"

"…"

"IRMA!"

"Oh, c'mon, Tara, I won't need this stuff when I'll rule the world," Irma said, dejected, while she let her head fall on the exercise book full of doodles, "why school must be so boring?"

"If you applied a bit more, maybe it would be a bit more interesting." Cornelia teased her.

"That's impossible blondie, even an amusement park may be stifling with you in the neighbourhood." Irma replied.

WHAM!

"For heaven's sake, stop it!" Taranee exclaimed exasperated.

"SHE THREW ME A PILLOW, A PILLOW! THIS MEANS WAR!" Irma squealed grabbing hers. Cornelia lifted her hand and she looked at her ominously:

"DON'T YOU DARE…"

"BLONDIE, YOUR HAIR IS GOING TO LIVE THE MOST EXCITING ADVENTURE OF ITS LIFE!"

"STOP!" Taranne suddenly cried. Irma and Cornelia stopped arguing and put down their pillows. All four of them remained silent for a while, then Hay Lin spoke:

"It's not the same… without Will."

The others nodded. Taranee closed her book and she threw it in a corner: "Girls, I feel so betrayed…" she said, "I'd like to know her motifs. How she decided it. Why."

"Maybe she was under a bad guy's spell… things like this, you know… maybe it wasn't her but her evil twin." Irma commented.

"No. It was her. And she betrayed us. She deserves everything that happened." Cornelia said. But she was crying and the girls knew why. Cornelia was so proud, she was so used to be excellent in everything that she had taken a while to accept Will as a leader. But in the end Will had proved to be a great leader, as well as a great friend. Cornelia had completely trusted her and she had considered her as a sister, but now she was abandoned along with the other girls and she felt deeply betrayed.

"Now we can't call us WITCH anymore..." Hay Lin commented sadly. "ITCH is really ugly..."

"ITCH sounds like a sneeze turned out badly." Irma joked and gave a handkerchief to Cornelia. "Maybe we should give her another chance, right? Two weeks have passed and Will is almost never at school. I've heard Collins while he was saying that Will is having also some trouble at home with her mother. Betrayer or not, I think she deserves at least that we return to talk to her again."

"I've heard too that things aren't going well at Will's home..." Taranee said. "and after the Trial Will seemed to be really devastated. Maybe now she's regretting the whole thing. Yes, I agree to talk to her again, afterall we had been a team, right?"

"Yeah... I know that she was wrong. And she also tried to hurt my grandma, but grandma's the Oracle, isn't she? She can defend herself. And then, I think too that things for Will are not going well." Hay Lin agreed.

They all turned toward Cornelia. The Earth Guardian sniffed and blew her nose loudly:

"Hey, what do you expect? To say no? I am with you, I love Will too!" she said, almost offended by the fact that the others could think otherwise.

"Then, it's decided." Irma concluded. "Let's go all to Will's home to see her."

"Now?" Hay Lin asked.

"Sure!"

They said goodbye to Irma's parents and left the house. But after barely a hundred metres the four girls were stopped by an urgent problem:  
Two men stood in front of them: they were both pale and dressed in black. One had short black hair, the other had shoulder-lenght blonde hair, so blonde to be almost white. They both smiled when they saw the girls:

"Look... the famous Kandrakar's Guardians. We were just waiting for you. We've heard that you are really strong, little girls." The blonde said.

Who are you?" Cornelia growled. The asphalt under her feet began to tremble as an angry beast. "What do you want?"

"Who we are is none of your business" the dark-haired said, "but what we want" he suddenly shoot a dark energy ball that crashed a few centimetres from her feet, "should be clear enough."

"I'll warn you, today's not a good day!" Cornelia replied with fury, "If you want to be defeated you will not be disappointed!"

The girls transformed. First, Irma directed all the falling rain on the two mages soaking them. Hay Lin summoned a cold wind that froze the water veil and covered of ice the two, slowing them.

"Take this!" Cornelia exclaimed while two strong tendrils reached out from the nearby trees to crush them.

But the two mages got rid of the ice and killed the tendrils with their magic. Then they fought back with a flurry of strong and violent blows. Taranee summoned a flame that ate the blows, then she aimed for the mages; the blonde one summoned a barrier while the dark-haired one kept on attacking:

"So? It's all you've got here?" he teased them. "We are two and you are four, plus you are the mighty Kandrakar's Guardians. You should be invincible… but apparently the legends are exaggerate."

"Ok, now I'm sick of you two!" Cornelia cried, "EARTH, SWALLOW THEM!" The asphalt beneath the mages suddenly opened like a mostrous mouth ready to eat them. The mages managed to jump away just in time, but they couldn't do anything against the combo attack that the other three Guardians threw against them. They were hit fully hit by water, air and fire. They were thrown away and crushed against a wall. They fell on the groung, panting.

"Now you'll pay for your insolence!" Taranee said. The two mages looked at each other and nodded.

The dark-haired one stood up with difficulty. He glanced menacingly at her and said:

"I don't think so. You won. We saw what we had to see. Farewell, Guardians."

"Wait!" Hay Lin exclaimed, but it was too late. The mages had vanished.

"But who the hell were they?" Cornelia asked.

"We are in the middle of the street… and if someone saw us?"

"I don't think so. I called a mist around us during the fight to hide us." Irma answered.

"Girls… WILL!" Hay Lin suddenly cried.

"Will what?"

"If those guys were looking for us then they could have gone to Will's home too. And now she is powerless!" The others paled:

"You're right!" Taranee exclaimed, "Let's go to Will… now!"

They arrived at Will's home by flying. They transformed back and then they rang the Vandom's door. Susan greeted them:

"Girls." The woman said a bit surprised, "What are you doing here? It's almost evening."

"We're looking for Will" Taranee answered, abit agitated, "is she at home?" Susan stiffened a little when she heard Will's name:

"No. She's not here. I don't… I don't know what to do with her!" Susan started to express her frustration, "She comes and leaves when she wants, and it's useless to punish her! But she's always returned at home at this hour, today she has really exaggerated! If she doesn't come home within ten minutes I'll call the police. But don't stand in the doorway, come in." She said in a calmer tone at the girls. But they didn't move, they stared at Susan alarmed:

"Will is not here?" Thet repeated with eyes wide open.

Susan stopped talking. She saw their worried expression and she felt shivers down her spine. Mothers can feel when something is wrong. Her angry expression faded to give way to concern:

"You don't know where is she now?" She asked. The girls shook their heads. Susan picked up the telephone and quickly dialed Will's number, then she feverishly put the phone near her ear. After about thirty rings she put it down.

"She isn't answering." Her hands were shaking.

The girls tried to call her too with the same result. The tried to hide their fear to Susan:

"_**Girls, we must go to Kandrakar!" Taranee said telepathically, "Will may be in danger!"**_

"_**Yes. Let's go now."**_

"Maybe it's better if we go home and inform our parents..." Hay Lin said to Susan. The woman had tears in her eyes:

"My child... what's happened to her… why she's not answering me... it's my fault! I should have been closer to her... it was obvious that something was worrying her..."

At that sight the girls felt really sad: "Where are lil' William and Professor Collins?" Irma asked.

"O-outside... they should come home soon..." Susan sobbed.

"Warn the police" Cornelia said, "it may be a false alarm. Maybe Will will be at home soon."

"I hope with all my heart girls... thank you..." Susan already had the phone in her hand. The four Guardians said goodbye and quickly left Will's house. As soon as they were out of sight they transformed and vanished toward the Fortress.

* * *

"_Report." Rifel ordered._

"_My Lord, it's as rumors say. The Guardians are strong." The blonde mage answered while she bowed with respect, "Strong," she added, "but not invincible."_

"_Her strenght is teamwork." The dark-haired continued, "alones they can be easily eliminated."_

_Rifel nodded: "I didn't expect nothing less from the Fortress' warriors. But even them will fall to us. They can be strong, but they are still young and naive. They don't know yet what is the true meaning of power. They don't know yet true pain and true war." He said. He put his hand on the girl's shoulder who was near him. She was also dressed in a black robe that emphasized her white skin:_

"_But you," he said to her, "you are going to learn that. Are you ready?"_

"_I don't care." Will answered with hollow voice, "Do whatever you have to do." The black Mage smiled:_

"_Let's begin, then."_

**

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**

**Whoa. My pc died yesterday, but luckily I had all saved on USB. If I hadn't do that, I would have lost everything... now I can spread the love (my stories) like a virus from all the PCs with a USB door. I saw my father's computer shiver... but maybe It's just my imagination.**

**Thank you guys for your reviews, I appreciate them all. Maybe when my PC will return at its full glory I'll post on my character sheet for Rifel. I scrapped him at university and my friends (female ones) said: a male! But the others (male ones) said: no, it's female!**

**So as you can read my description in chapter 4 totally suits him (he totally seems to me a male, in my opinion).**

**Next chapter will be:**_** Unforgivable mistake.**_


	6. Unforgivable mistake

**Thank you to all people who read my story and put ****it into their favorites or story alert. I'll try to give you a good story.**

**I do not own W.I.T.C.H. it's from disney.**

* * *

6. **Unforgivable mistake**

'_The very first thingh she learned about her power__ was how to restore her energies without sleeping. In this way she avoided to relive every night the nightmare of her abandonment.'_

_

* * *

_

Basiliade.

The creature was running.

Oh, no, going to that planet to steal… it was a very bad idea... really. The creature looked back and let out a shriek when he saw a group of warriors riding their fast flaming horses. They were chasing him, causing a big cloud of dust.

That was a planet of warriors, smart people. They had discovered him immediately despite of his shapeshifting skills and now they were chasing him relentlessy. And more, the bag of stolen stuff that rattled on his back wasn't helping him in the escape.

The creature panted. His chasers were more and more closer, one in particular was separating from the group and was pointing straight at him. His flaming horse was much more faster than the thin little legs of the shapeshifter who was beginning to feel really trapped. With a snarl he began to transform in the scariest moster he knew, the one with more teeth, more heads, more scales. In short, the one with more everything. He would have sold his life dearly and he would have escaped from that dangerous planet to steal in quieter place.

He turned to face the warrior with his enourmous mouth full of sharp teeth. He had now three heads, all angry. But the warrior didn't step back. He dismounted and drew out his sword to attack him.  
The monster threw himself toward him, roaring. The warrior dodged the open mouth directed toward him and the monster ate dust and rocks.

The man jumped and climbed over the long neck where he began to hit mercilessy the creature with his sword. The monster cried with pain and started to wiggle. The other two heads flung themselves on the annoying warrior, but he jumped away once again and the heads number 2 and number 3 went to bite the poor head number 1 which was on their way. Completely blinded by pain, the monster didn't see the energy blow thrown by the warrior. The blow hit him and threw him on the ground. The exhausted shapeshifter started to transform back in his despicable humanoid form. The warrior pinned him and forced him unceremoniously to the ground.

"Himerish, did you catch him?" Some voices shouted. The group of warrior was arriving.

"Yes, I did. And now he will return what he stole." The warrior named Himerish answered, taking the thief's bag.

"The creature turned his head, disgusted. But in doing this he revealed the long scratch on his neck, red and infected. Himerish noticed it and firmly held his neck:

"Look..." Himerish said, "this is a magical wound. We are not the first to be annoyed. Let's see who you have robbed before us."

Himerish passed his hand on the wound. The creature shivered: he was reading his mind, now he would have known his every crime and deception...

But Himerish remained silent. For minutes he didn't move, lingering in the thief's mind while his expression became more and more serious and his face grew paler. The other warriors noticed that:

"Himerish? Is it all right?" They asked.

"Not at all. I must go to Kandrakar, now." He answered.

_

* * *

_

Kandrakar.

Yan lin was in the middle of her meditation. After the Trial she had been no longer able to allay the anxiety which housed in her heart and the pain for Will's betrayal. Even if she was the Oracle she hadn't managed to anticipate the power's thirst that had caught the Guardian.

And yet Will had always been so different from Nerissa, so generous. Perhaps this was way she had failed to See. Maybe her personal judgements had obscured the truth like a fog curtain. Even this day she couldn't meditate in peace.

"Oracle, is it all right?" Tibor asked,worried.

"Betrayal always leaves an open wound in our hearts, my friend" she answered, "and the cut isn't clean, but dirty and chipped; hard to close and easy to reopen. And we keep on suffering even after the time of trial has ended."

Tibor was about to say something, but he was interrupted by a sage who entered in the room:

"Forgive my interruption, Honourable Oracle," he said, "but there's someone who wishes to speak with you urgently."

"Who is it?" She asked.

"Himerish, my lady, your predecessor."

Himerish was waiting in a smaller room. With him was the shapeshifter, Himerish had tied him and dragged him to the Fortress. The creature moaned and whined, he pleaded him to let him go, but nothing, Himerish was inflexible. He waited for Yan Lin without moving.

Yan Lin saw her old mentor waiting for her. He was dressed as a warrior and behind him, immobilised, stood a strange, blue-skinned, humanoid creature who as soon as he saw her started to cry loudly. Yan Lin detected a strange familiar feeling coming from that creature.

"My friend, what brings you here?" The Oracle asked the warrior.

"Yan Lin" Himerish bowed with respect. "I'm here to ask a question. Is it all right here at Kandrakar? Are the Guardians okay? At that question Yan Lin frowned.

"No it isn't, my friend, a terrible thing happened." She answered.

"Tell me."

"Yan Lin told him about the night in which Will had tried to steal her Auramere. She told him about how she had failed and how she had been wounded. But when she arrived at the Trial she stopped because she found it too painful to continue.

"So… Will was sentenced. She's not a Guardian anymore." Himerish said.

"No. It was very upsetting for everyone… nobody expected that... even I couldn't foresee it." The Oracle said.

"And this is why I'm here." Himerish said pulling the rope in his hand. The shapeshifter squealed.

"You must see his memories. They're important!"

The Oracle stared at the poor thief who started to move for the discomfort. She lingered for a long time on his bony appearance... and on his neck. Yan Lin slowly paled.

"Who is him?" she asked.

"A shapeshifter thief. She was stealing on Basiliade, but he had been caught."

"A shapeshifter..."

The Oracle fell on her knees and took the creature's head between her hands. She started to read his mind and to examine it carefully. As she proceed with her research her expression became more and more upset:

"It can't be possible... it can't be..." she stammered. She stood up, but she had a faint and Tibor quickly helped her:

"Oracle! What's happening?" The worried sage exclaimed.

"We had been tricked… we made an unforgivable mistake!" Yan Lin exclaimed, shocked. Himerish helped her too. after she had calmed down a little she finally spoke again. She seemed much older, now.

"How could we be so blind and stupid?" she cried, "A thief's trick was enough to convict an innocent... how..."

"There was evidence." Tibor tried to confort her.

But our heart was hard for the anger. We didn't listen to Will's pleas and I couldn't See in the dephts of her soul, I stopped at the appearance and I fell in this thief's trap! I I should not be worthy of being called Oracle!" She took her head in her hands and collapsed again.

"We all do our mistakes" Himerish affirmed firmly, "and we can never go back. I did mine, too. But we can move forward to make up for wrong choices. The first thing to do is to call the other girls immediately and tell them to bring Will here."

"If she will be willing to listen to us again." Yan Lin sighed.

"Grandma!"

Yan Lin and Himerish suddenly turned toward the door. Hay Lin, Taranee, Cornelia and Irma advanced toward them with a worried expression on their faces. The Oracle and Himerish quickly looked at each other. They had both a bad feeling.

"What happened?" The old lady asked.

"Will! She'd disappeared!" Hay Lin exclaimed, "We can't find her anywhere and we don't know where she could be!"

"Himerish... Sir. What are you doing here?" Cornelia asked while her and the others bowed respectfully toward the old Oracle.

"I'm here for your own reason" he answered, "but perhaps it's better if you sit."

First the Guardians told the motif of their visit, then the explanations were repeated. The girls remained silent during the talk and even after Himerish had finished. Only after a long time Taranee spoke:

"Are you serious? Is it all true?" she asked.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"We abandoned her. We are monsters." Irma sobbed, "Yan Lin, did you find her?"

The Oracle was deeply concentrated. While Himerish was explaining the situation she had attempted to find Will and to feel her presence, but she couldn't find anything.

"No. I'm feeling nothing." She said.

"And if those mages who attacked us had..."

"It's impossible." Yan Lin negated, "Because all the spirits of those who had something to do with the Fortress pass through Kandrakar. If Will had been dead I would have seen her spirit."

"So she is alive" Cornelia said, "but she'd disappeared."

"Perhaps they kidnapped her!" Hay Lin said.

"Probably." Himerish agreed, "That's why from now on I'll go come with you on Earth. I'll put in prison this shapeshifter and I will join you in Heaterfield. I'll take the Rudolph's house where Orube stayed.. I'll say that I am her relative. I will help you to find Will, no matter what. It's a promise."

**

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**

Thank you to Yell**ow 14 who told me about the comic section of W.I.T.C.H.**

**Listen carefully: from the next update, I will MOVE MY STORY IN THE COMIC SECTION, because since that it exists I'll use it. So... if you want to read more... you'll have to look there for my fic. That's all.**

**FFHannibal was wondering why all the bad guys are always pale and in a black dress... well, here they're in black because the're black mages, and they're not pale. Rifel is the only one to be pale, but not the others. It's the black robe which puts in evidence their skin^^**

**Next chapter will be: **_**Looking for Will.**_


	7. Looking for Will

**I do not own W.I.T.C.H., it's from Disney**

7. **Looking for Will**

'_She had always loved red because it was the color of her hair.__ But when the first blood started to stain her hands and clothes, she decided that black suited her better.'_

* * *

"Ok" Himerish started, "you said that you have been attacked by two mages, right? What did they look like?"

"They were both in black clothes. One was blond and the other had black hair."

"How did they attack you?"

"With energy blows. One summoned a shield that protected them both while the other was attacking us. They were both using dark energy." Taranee said.

"A shield…" Himerish reasoned. "A defender and an attacker. This means that they were organized and ready to face you. They came here with a purpose, but then they fled. Now there are two cases: They came here to test your strenght, or that was only a diversion to keep you there while they kidnapped Will... _if_ it were them to kidnap her."

"In this case then they should be more than two." Cornelia prosecuted.

"True," the warrior approved, "and there must be someone, or more than one, who leads them. To be all dressed in the same way and to work in team means to be part of an organisation. The problem is to find out how big it is."

They were in the house that had belonged to Mrs. Rudolph, the girls' old math teacher. The teacher had left it to them when she'd returned to leave in her homeland, Meridian. Now Himerish was staying there. He had taken the house the day after Will's desappearance and he had called the girls for an extraordinary meeting.

"I hope Will is okay, wherever she is." Irma commented.

There was no need to have been Oracle to understand the girls' feelings. They had abandoned Will and now she was gone; they all felt terribly guilty and sorry for what they had done.

"We mustn't give up." Himerish said with a firm tone. "We will find her. Soon Orube will join me here on Earth. We will look for her every night and everywhere. We will follow her track to find where she is. I promise."

Himerish's words were firm and authoritarian. Those were the words of a strong Sage and an expert warrior. The girls felt comforted by his presence and they hoped with all their heart that Himerish could find their friend.

"Now, let's begin:" he continued, "Which were Will's favourite places, those that she was used to go the most?"

"She wandered about the streets a lot in the last times" Hay Lin answered, "And she'd begun to skip school. Professor Collins was really worried about that. I think that Will spent most of her time in Heaterfield's Park, because it's big and full of places in which you can stay without being seen."

"Okay, I'm going to start with it, then." Himerish said. "Cornelia, you come with me. Your affinity with the Earth will be very useful. Hay Lin, Irma, Taranee, you go to Will's house and talk with her mother. Everything may be important. We will join you when we finish in the park."

"We can also talk with Collins," Taranee suggested, "After all he lives with Will and her mother. Maybe he knows something."

_

* * *

_

Heaterfield's Park.

"The park is really huge" Himerish commented, "can you locate Will's movements?" he asked Cornelia.

"Obviously I can." The blonde said, "Earth is my element."

They walked through the way looking for a place far from prying eyes. They dodged kids, old men, ladies and runners until they came in a corner pretty sheltered by the branches of an old tree.

"Let's begin here."

They pulled back the leaves and they hid under the tree. The sunlight filtered through the foliage investing the Guardian and the warrior with greenish light. Cornelia sat on the ground and put a hand on the grass near the tree's roots:

"Earth, speak to me" she whispered, "I'm looking for a friend. Speak, and tell me if you saw her."

The leaves of the tree began to move softly. The tree's roots seemed to tingle at Cornelia's touch and for a moments the grass seemed to move on its own will. Cornelia remained still for several minutes, then she opened her eyes, a bit dazed:

"Will was here." She said, "But this is not the exact place where she was used to stay. Earth will guide us to the right point."

"Let's go, then."

They went out from the green cave and returned on the main way. Cornelia seemed to be in a sort of trance as she followed the silent voice of the Earth that was speaking only for her. Himerish silently followed her studying her concentraded expression. The Guardian stopped near an empty bench and sat on it:

"This is the right place...Will was sitting here last time." She said dreamily. "Then she got up" Cornelia stood up from the bench, "and she walked toward the exit..." she took the way that led out of the park, but she suddenly stopped near the gate.

"What happened after that?" Himerish asked.

"I don't know!" Cornelia was confused. "And neither the Earth knows it. It is as if at that time Earth had been asleep... as if an early winter had descended upon it. It doesn't know where Will went and it doesn't remember to have seen her going out of the park."

"This is the work of a spell" the warrior commented half-closing his eyes, "this is evidence that Will's desappearance is bound to magic. Someone must have taken her away with magic since she was powerless."

Cornelia shook her head and stamped her feet on the ground: "This was all useless!" she exclaimed, "we are in a dead end!"

"Stay calm" the other warned her, "it's not true. You were attacked, and in the same period of time Will is gone. We may assume that the two things are connected. Now we have to find out way. Perhaps they want to blackmail Kandrakar. If it's so we will have soon news of Will's kidnappers. But now we have to join the other girls at Will's home." He said.

Cornelia wiped her eyes and nooded: "Okay."

_

* * *

_

Will's home.

Taranee, Hay Lin and Irma rang at Vandom's door. Professor Collins came to open:

"Girls." He moved to let them pass. "Come in."

He looked tired and worn-out. Even if he wasn't Will's real father, Dean had always loved her like a daughter. He led them in the living room where Susan was sitting on the couch embracing Willliam, Will's little brother.

Susan was crying. She looked devastated. She told the girls that the cops had been there the night before, when she had called for them. They had issued the warning at the police station and at the neighboring districts that a young girl had desappeared; but when from them didn't come any report sighting, the warning turned in a very missing alarm. Will's photo had been included in the missing people's database and a couple of detectives with a psychologist had come to question Susan and Dean about their life and about Will's habits. Soon the first photos would have appeared into the newspapers.

"Mrs Vandom" Taranee asked softly and trying to be as gentle as possible, "how was Will in these last days?"

Susan sniffed and passed little William to Dean: "She was strange... sad. When she was with us it seemed that she always wanted to be somewhere else and she often locked herself in her room. She had never behaved so, I can't understand. But you really don't know anything? You are her friends, she hadn't said anything to you?" she asked.

The girls looked at each other. "We weren't really close in the last days." Irma admitted with shame.

Suddenly Hay Lin groaned and grabbed her stomach. She got up and asked:

"Mrs Vandom, may I use the bathroom?"

"Yes, sure!"

Hay Lin quickly left the room along with Irma. When they were far form sight the Air Guardian leaned against the wall, exhausted.

"Hay Hey, what's going on?" Irma asked.

"It's this place" she answered, "it's full of sadness. Will's mother is broken, Collins is desperate, even Will's little brother feels that something is wrong. It's unbearable." She closed her eyes and touched her own forehead: "And then there is... Will's sadness. It's deep like an abyss. It's still here, it hovers like a poisonous gas. I wonder how I couldn't feel it previously."

"Maybe we were too far from her to notice it." Irma said. The other nodded:

"I think you're right."

The bell rang. They heard the sound of the door opening and some voices:

"Are you investigating my daughter's desappearance?" Susan asked.

"Yes." A familiar voice answered, "I'm here to find your daughter."

Irma and Hay Lin looked at each other and came back. Now Cornelia was there too, along with Himerish. The warrior had changed his clothes: now he was wearing a white shirt and a black sleeveles cardigan. He offered his hand to Dean and Susan while he introduced himself:

"My name is Stefan Rudolph. My cousin Rebecca was a friend of Will and she came to know about her desappearance. You see, I am a psychologist and Rebecca asked me to investigate informally. I hope you will accept my help." He said while handing them a business card.

"We will accept the possible help." Collins affirmed. Himerish nodded.

"A psychologist?" Irma whispered joining Cornelia.

"I swear I didn't know what he had in mind." The blonde replied. "I'm as dismayed as you."

"That intellectual air and that cardigan really suit him."

Himerish asked some questions about Will and then he asked if he could see Will's bedroom. Susan accompanied him to the room and then she left Himerish alone and free to examine it in peace.

The 'psychologist' went around the room. The police men had already been there, but Will presence was still perceptible. A couple of stuffed frogs lay on the unmade bed. They seemed to be sad without their owner. On the desk the dusty notebooks were closed, the clothes were on the floor instead of being in the wardrobe.

Himerish sighed. That room looked lifeless. Yes, at first sight it could look like an ordinary room of an ordinary teenager, but he could feel a strange emptyness hovering everywhere.  
Himerish shook sadly his head as he knelt down and took from the floor a photo that had fallen:

It showed Will and her brother during a picnic. They were both smiling and Will was protecting William from the sunlight and looking at the abjective at the same time. Himerish put the photo on the desk and then he left the bedroom. There he wouldn't have found anything useful.

"I'll start my research as soon as possible." He said to Will's parents. "Have hope. A lot of people love your daughter, a lot of people are looking for her. Trust me."

Susan and Dean thanked him. Himerish left the house. After a bit the girls followed him.

"There is nothing useful at Will's home." The warrior said. "But we found a track at the park. We must keep high our guard, maybe a new enemy threatens Kandrakar."

"We will pay attention." Irma pronised, "Ah, however, sir, I wanted to tell you that these clothes really suit you. Much more than that anonymous white robe, I think."

"The other girls smiled. Irma never gave up.

"When we will find Will we are going to laugh together of this thing!" Taranee said with decision.

"When we will find her?"

"Yes. Because we are going to find her, no matter what."

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Thank you people for reviewing and reading my story. This was a slow chapter, but I had to show Will's family reactions. Next time I'm going to pick up again Will's POV. I promise abit of more action.

**By the way, If you go to my deviantart page (I have the link in my profile) ****you can see how I imagine Rifel, my OC.**

**Ok, see (or read) you next time with number eight: **_**The edge of the chessboard.**_


	8. The edge of the chessboard

**Thank you to people who**** read my story and put it into their favourites. **

**Now: uhm, warnings? This chapter contains some bad language (Or at least I think... I'm not sure what do you mean for "bad language", it's subjective), a fight and some blood. That's all, only to be sure.**

**I do not own WITCH, it's from Disney**

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8. The edge of the chessboard

'_She had always loved the light of the moon and the stars, she had always wanted to see them for another time. But when she finally could go out again and rise her eyes toward the sky, the moonlight hit hard her eyes accustomed to the darkness. She had quickly lowered her head again, hiding it on her hood.'_

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Avror entered in the common room where the soldiers stayed when they had nothing to do. He let himself fall heavily on a chair and took a beer tankard nearby. He downed it in a gulp and handed back the empty jug.

"Avror! You look like shit today, what's going on?" Two comrades sat at the table near him.

"Everything sucks" the big man croaked, "I fell asleep again during my turn. It's the fourth time in this month. The big boss is going to personally see me."

The men did whistles and exclamations: "That's crazy!" they exclaimed. "Most of us has never seen him up close!"

"Yeah" Avror groaned, "the ones like us are only trash to the mighty lord... he prefers to sorround himself with those black mages... the èlite. But the dirty job is up to us, eh!"

"Are you not worried about the calling?" One of his comrades asked.

"Worried? Are you kidding?" Avror replied. "I'm wetting my pants. But his orders are the law, he's the boss and we must obey him!" He spat on the ground and cleared his throat.

"Well chap, you should have thought before falling asleep during your watch!" One of the two teased him.

"I'm going to kill you when I come back!" Avror menaced him while he got up.

"_If_ you come back, you dog, if you return."

Avror grunted and left the room. He had a fucking fear of Rifel, the great Dark Lord. People said that he was more powerful than all his soldiers and mages put together. He never let himself being seen closely from trash like them , simple soldiers, he appeared in public with his face hidden by a hood. People said that he was merciless and cruel, without any hesitation in sacrificing his men, although until that time he had proved himself as a skilled leader.

But lately, people said something else.

They rumored that Rifel had an apprentice. Nobody had seen him, so Avror didn't believe for real at this rumors. They said that he was as mercyless as his mentor and exceptionally gifted. They also said that the warriors who encountered him were not seen anymore.

Avror shivered. The air was so cold in that damn basement...

The man came to a big wooden door. That was the limit of the mages' quarters, he had never had permission to stay in those places. Avror sighed; he was about to knock, but the door opened leaving him with his arm in the air. A mage with a long ponytail beckoned him to enter and to follow him. Avror obeyed.

The big man looked at his guide with a hint of disdain. He valued that if he had managed to tighten him with his strong arms, it would have been no magic able to save the poor little mage from his fate. Mages were all the same: slender and fragile, always ready to avoid close combat, the one for true men.

The mage led him to a door and knocked:

"Come in." A male voice said from the room.

The door opened and the mage quickly went away leaving Avror alone. The man swallowed and entered, finding himself for the first time in the presence of Rifel.

"My Lord..." Avror fell on his knees and lowered his head being careful not to look in his eyes, but he made in time to glance at his appearance:

He was tall and slender and dressed in black like the other mages. The skin was as pale as the alabaster and he had yellow eyes like a hawk. Rifel looked at him and smiled:

"You can stand up, man."

Avror got up and noticed in that moment that they were not alone in the room. There was a girl in black robes sitting at a elegantly carved table. He had dark red hair and she kept her head down on the sheets on which she was writing, but when she felt on her the man's gaze she rose her eyes and looked back at him with a bored expression. Avror couldn't explain why, but a cold shiver ran through his back when he met her eyes.

"Avror, right?" Do you know why are you here?" Rifel asked. Avror quickly lowered his eyes toward the floor.

"Y-yes... my Lord. I a-am here because I m-must be punished." He answered.

"And what would be your guilt?" the Black Mage continued, affable. The girl had begun again to write.

"I fell a-asleep during my turn, sir... f-four times."

"Mh... Avror, I've always thought of my warriors as efficient men. If efficiency is lacking, you create a weak link in the chain that can lead to breakage and it may let fall everything the entire chain supports. What should I do with you, can you tell me?" he said.

The man kneeled again: "My Lord, I beg you! Spare me, I will be a perfect soldier, please give me another chance, please!" he pleaded.

Rifel stroke his face thoughtfully: "Yes. Everyone deserves a second chance, man. Even you. I propose a simple challenge, a fight. If you will be the winner, then you won't be punished. What do you say, will you accept?"

"Against who...?"

Rifel did a lazy gesture toward the girl sitting next to him. She stopped writing and turned to look at the Mage:

"You see, Avror, she's new here." He explained as he gently leaned his hand on the girl's head, "she still needs some training. So you will fight against her and if you win then you will return to your place."

Avror looked at the girl. She wasn't even the half of him and she was without doubt a mage. He could do that, he had always defeated his opponents, imagine if he could lose to a rookie brat! No, he would not have been humiliated in that way, beaten by a little girl and, moreover, by a mage. He would have taught that girl her place.

"Yes, my Lord, I will do it." He answered. Rifel smiled:

"Perfect, let's go then to the Arena. Come, Will."

The girls got up and they left the room, accompanied by other mages. Rifel left them and went to sit in a higher position where he could watch the fight, leaving Avror and Will in the Arena.

Avror was big, very big. He clenched in his big right hand the hilt of his long curved sword, rusty and consumed. It was his blade, the mages had brought to him from the armory. He was wearing a sleeveless armor over the shirt and he had no shield. He boldly moved forward and faced his opponent.

The little girl had no weapon. She had no armor. She wasn't even in guard. She was only staring at him with a concentrated and... contemptuos look on her face.

Avror, despite all, smiled wickedly. He would have thrown with his sword all that arrogance in her throat. The brat could even be strong, but she had no experience on the battlefield. She didn't know the smell of blood neither the death's sound. Well, he would have thought himself to teach her.

He attacked all of a sudden with a powerful slash from top to bottom. The blade flashed at the tourches' light as it fell toward Will.

Will had silently observed his opponent. She knew that he was a skilled warrior, she had seen his consumed sword and she didn't believe that that blade had been damaged by cutting firewood.

She was ready when the warrior attacked. She remained motionless until the last moment, then she dodged the blade and took her distance with an agile leap. The blade of the sword was so close to her that she could feel the windage on her skin. However, Avror did not let himself being surprised; he quickly turned and began a series of quick lunges toward the girl. Will dodged and didn't attack, her movements were fluid like a dance, her expression impassive and focused.

After ten minutes of non-stop assaults, the warrior started to show fatigue. He took a safe distance from Will, who on the contrary didn't show the slighest difficulty.

The man had time only to do two steps. It was then that she moved. Fast and fluid like a shadow she went at his enemy's back. And when the warrior realized what had happened, it was too late. Will hit him hard with a strong shot in the neck, sending him to the groung half-conscious. The warrior fell in the dust and remained on the ground whining in a low voice. Beaten by a little girl.

Will looked up searching for Rifel's gaze. The Dark Lord slightly nodded.

The order to end the match.

Will went back to his opponent. He was back on its feet, but he was having a hard time in recovering from the blow. He wanted back his sword. It had fallen when she had hit him. He wanted to show that girl that the Arena and the battle were not her place. That was the warrior's camp.

He reached for his sword. But his fingers never clenched the hilt. Something had hit him in the chest, in the heart.

Avror looked down. Will's head barely arrived to his chest, yet her hand had been able to penetrate easily the armor and the flesh. How could a little girl be so strong? Will slowly pulled out her hand from the wound and the man felt every nerve of his body screamed in pain as the arm and the hand of his opponent lingered in his chest. He opened his mouth to cry, but he could do nothing more than a strangled gurgle. He fell on his knees and then completely. He didn't move anymore. A halo of blood began to widen like a spiderweb from under the chest of the killed warrior.

Will bent over Avror and, ripped a sleeve from his shirt, used it to wipe her bloody arm.

From his position Rifel allowed himself a satisfied smile. Two months had passed since he had taken Will with him. The first thing he had taken care of had been her power's awakening which, once aroused, had began to flow like a raging river and he had been able to shape it at his will.

And with his pleasant surprise, she had proved a natural talent in combat; she learned every technique easily and she knew when to put it into practise. She knew how to move and every shot she performed had a purpose. She never allowed rush to lead her movements and she never allowed emotions taking over her. She never made mistakes.

In those two months Will had exceeded his expectations; she had turned in a silent, efficient, killer.

"Come here." He ordered her.

Will left the Arena and joined him. The Mage led her back in his studio where he sat at the table. He took a beautiful ivory chessboard and put it between Will and him.

"It's time to act, Will." She whispered her by advancing a pawn. "The actors are in place and the stage is set."

Will replied to the move by advancing another pawn: "What do you want me to do?" she asked.

"What you've always done. That you obey my orders." The Mage answered, advancing again. "Will you be able to face without esitation those who were once your friends and companions?"

The girl remained silent to think about the next move. After a few minutes she advanced again her pawn and ate Rifel's one: "they're nothing to me. Not anymore." She answered without emotions, "Only obstacles in my way."

Rifel smiled and freed his horse. Will made the same. They remained silent for a while, then the Mage took his bishop and slowly slid it across the chessboard towards Will's horse. He removed it and nodded:

"Perfect. Soon Kandrakar will fall and along with its servants. The obstacles will be wiped out with no mercy." With a gesture of his hand he brought down Will's king, then he handed her his white bishop.

The girl took it and tightened her grip.

"Now go to your quarters, I will call you soon. Rest until you know your mission." He ordered.

"Yes, my Lord." Will bowed as she silently went away from the room.

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Ok guys, now don't take your chessmen to see if you can actually eat horses and pawns in this way. It's possible, but they are stupid moves. It was all a metaphorical thing xD.

**Lexvan asked where was Matt's reaction in the last chapter. Well, the reason it's that I had to choose between the many reactions I could show; Matt is Will's boyfriend and he should deserve a deep part in my opinion. But if I had done that, I would have brought my fiction to a different path from what I've planned. Matt will appear, but later and as a secondary character. Maybe I will do a one-shot about him when this story will be more advanced.**

**Argh, I'm becoming confused with the verbs **_**fall**_** and **_**feel**_** their sound is similar xD.**

**I hope you're enjoying my fiction as I am enjoying in writing it. See you with ****number 9: **_**The mission.**_


	9. The mission

**It's stronger than me, to keep on changing POW during a battle, to show all the thoughts. I hope that this is readable and not confusing.**

**I do not own W.I.T.C.H., it's from DISNEY**

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9. The mission

'_She was his bishop'._

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Will went to her quarters as Rifel had ordered. Once in her room she undressed and went into the bathroom. She activated the hot water jet and slipped under it; she remained still for an istant under the hot water while it flowed over her and relaxed her, then she began to clean her up from the battle's dirt and from Avror's blood.  
In those months she had radically changed. Will remembered as if it were yesterday the moment when Rifel had awakened her dormant powers.  
It was the same day when they met for the first time. The Mage had led her in that dark and almost lightless place and had begun to look inside her for a sign of energy. And once he had found it, he freed it.

Will remembered. It was as if millions of long needles had tried to leave her body all together, as if a hot lava tsunami had tried to pour right out of her, as if a lightning storm had tried to incinerate her from the inside. Will had never experienced such a pain. In that moment she really believed she would have died, and she wanted it in order to stop the suffering. Once freed, the power was unstoppable; and Will had two choices. To learn to control it, or to die.

But she survived. The pain was gone and with it all the emotions which belonged to her previous life. Sadness, friendship, trust... feelings were useless. Emotions were for the weaks. And she wouldn't have been weak anymore. She had stifled them, erased them, and now the only feeling she had was the determination and the certainty that she had only herself.

Will went out from the bathroom and laid on the bed. She closed her eyes and slipped in a light slumber that for nearly two months had replaced the real sleep. Thanks to her power, she didn't need nothing more.  
She wondered what kind of task Rifel would have entrusted to her. She was curious, despite all. Sooner or later she would have faced Kandrakar and the Guardians together with the Dark Lord... and she would have put an end to the story.

She opened her eyes in the darkness of her room and summoned a little energy spark that hovered tremulous in the air as a lonely firefly. The girl watched it going away and desappearing into the darkness...just as had happened to her.

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Rifel slowly closed his eyes and focused. There was a water mirror in front of him which was not reflecting anything. The Black Mage began to murmur arcane words in an ancient language; the candles expired and cold came in the room. The water mirror started to shine brightly.

"_Show me..."_ Rifel whispered, _"show me... the Way..."_

The water flickered and grew numb. It slowly took shape the image of a city street.

"_Heaterfield... the girl's hometown... does the Way pass through the city?" _

The image changed and focused on a house. It was a big house, antique and stately, but decaying. It was on the top of a hill covered with tall grass.

"_I know that house."_

The image moved on the inside and into a room. Rifel silently observed while the water mirror showed him the way to reach the Key. When he saw all that he needed he waved a hand to stop the spell. The light suddenly returned in the room along with the warmth.

He had found the first Key. Now he only had to send Will to take it. The girl wouldn't have failed. She never failed.

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Heaterfield.

Will was silently walking in the dark. She had her face hidden by a hood as usual, black pants and a knee-lenght tunic closed in the waist by a band.

She jumped from the lane she was and landed on a roof agile as a cat. She kept running through the sleeping city toward a precise destination.

To be back gave her a strange effect, it was like visiting a place which you were used to see in a dream, it was like coming back in her childhood. Will focused on the hard cement under her feet and shutted out every thought that could deconcentrated her from her mission.

She didn't felt any danger around her. Nobody was there. Perfect. She went on toward her target:

Ludmoore Manor.

It hadn't been destroyed as it should have been, the owner had changed his mind at the last moment. And so the old manor was still there and towered gloomy from the sleeping hill like an old guardian who watch over dark secrets unknown to most people.

But not to Rifel.

"_Find the Red Orb hidden in Ludmoore Manor"_ Rifel had told her, _"It's very important. Bring it here no matter what, because it's our Key to achieve Kandrakar."_

Will came near the house and easily entered. The building was run-down and it was not locked. As soon as she entered the smell of dust and neglet instantly hit her. A gust of wind traversed the hall, almost as if the house was breathing. Will cautiously stepped in: there was _something _in that house, she could feel it. Will didn't let herself being intimidated. She would have found and took the Red Orb before the dawn at every cost.

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That night Himerish and Taranee were patrolling the town. The girls took turns to find Will, since they had realised that she would not have returned on her own. Month had passed, and still nor Himerish or Orube had been able to find her. But the girls refused to lose their hope. They felt that Will was still alive, it was as a link that overcame magic, it was something deeper.

"No trace of her." Taranee said sadly while they stopped on a roof to rest a bit, "Even this night."

Himerish was motionless with his gaze fixed on the horizon. He had a serious and focused look on his face as if he tried to see something in the distance.

"What's wrong?" The Guardian asked.

"There's something weird this night. Like a threat. Heaterfield is not safe tonight, it's better to check around a little more."

The warrior started to follow the weird track without speaking along with Taranee. Their research took them to the edge of an old manor's garden.

"But this is..." Taranee said.

"Ludmoore Manor." Himerish concluded worried, half-closing his eyes. The track stops here. There's something wrong in here."

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Will was in the library. It was an enourmous room with a high ceiling. Maybe it was the biggest room of the whole house. Ludmoore had been a great researcher and scientist, both on Earth and Meridian. Even if many books were gone, taken away by the collectors or thrown away, the amount of volumes was still impressive.

The research threatened to be long, but luckily Will knew where to look, Rifek had told her. She went straight to a shelf at the end of the room. She moved the books and used her magic to shift the shelf.

A stone wall came to light, on which an arcane symbole had been carved. Will put her hand and focused. The symbol lightened and twitched at the girl's touch; the stone melted to reveal a dark and deep passage.

"_Good."_ Will thought while she entered, _"Now comes the hard part."_

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Himerish and Taranee went into the manor. Taranee summoned a little flame to lighten the place since it was pitch dark in there.

"Someone came here." Himerish affirmed with a sure tone, as he bent to examine the fresh tracks left on the veil of dust, "He went over there. And he should be still here."

"Why would someone want to come here?" Taranee asked, "Ludmoore is long dead now, and his house is long abandoned. There's nothing here."

"I have a suspicion… I just hope to be wrong." The warrior replied while they advanced.

They came to the library and immediately saw the shifted shelf. They approached to the passage. Taranee put her hand on the melted stone:

"What does this mean?" She asked.

"Bad news. Follow me, Taranee, we have to hurry!" Himerish answered alarmed. They both took the dark passage and their steps echoed in the darkness.

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Will had heard them.

"_Someone's here. This can't be a coincidence. I must hurry."_

She came to a door flanked by two big stone felines. First of all Will summoned an energy barrier behind her; in thet way who was following her would have been blocked for the time she needed.

She approached to the door. The torces on its side flashed suddenly, projecting long shadows on the statues near her. Will looked at them. The shadow effect made them almost... alive!

The cat attacked her and Will had just the time to dodge. The statue landed not far, while the second one descended with a growl from its pedestal.

Will tried to keep herself calm. Only two miserable ornaments separated her from her goal, and she was also chased. She could do it, but she had to hurry.

She casted an energy blow toward the statues, but they dodged it with a roar. Like two real pumas, they rushed over her pulling out their claws.

But Will wasn't umprepared. She had been trained almost until death to face even worse situations. With a twist she avoided them both and landed on a puma's back. She grabbed it with all her strenght and made it explode in a thousand pieces shotting two energy globes at zero distance.

One was out.

The other hissed furiously and tried to attack her from behind. Will threw herself on the ground turning in midair, in order to face the staue's helpless belly while it was passing over her. The girl threw her hand inside the stomach stone and made the second cat explode from the inside. The statue's dust invested her depositing a white veil on her clothes.

"Damned Kandrakar!" she cursed. "And damned guards."

She cautiously walked in the room and saw in the middle what she was looking for. She approached to it, ready to face every danger.

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Himerish and Taranee walked down the passage; the Fire Guardian lightened the torces on the walls as they proceeded. But at the end of the tunnel they were blocked by an energy barrier.

"Our unknown visitor has noticed to be followed." Himerish said and put his hands on the barrier. "It's a strong barrier. We'll have to concentrate all our strenght to break it. Let's do it, it's better not to waste time."

They began to hit it with force. The barrier stoically resisted at their attacks, but after a couple of minutes it began to crack. The first cracks radiated from the center and the magic wall exploded in a thousand pieces with a sound of broken glass. The warrior and the Guardian advanced quickly and burst into the room.

The whole room was lit by a weak and warm, reddish light. The source of the light was a strange diaphanous orb. The orb pulsed with light as if it were alive. But what caught their attention was something else:

A small figure, dressed in black and with a hood, was near the Orb and was about to grab it. When Himerish and Taranee had come in the room he had turned toward them.

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When Will saw them she allowed surprise to cross her face for an instant. What were Taranee and the previous Oracle Himerish doing there? However, she wasted no time with questions because she still had to complete the mission. She had noticed a glimpse of comprehension and alarm in Himerish's eyes when he had seen her and the Orb: He knew what the Orb was for, he had been Oracle.

"Taranee, we must stop him! He must not touch that Orb!" Himerish shouted.

Taranee summoned a fire ball and threw it against her. Will easily dodged the attack, rolling away.

While she rolled she made the Orb's pedestal fall and she deftly caught the Orb as it fell.

Despite all, she smiled. The Orb was in her hands, now she only had to remove the obstacles in her way.

She quickly stood and repaid Taranee for the attack with a strong energy charge which hit the Guardian in her chest. The Fire Guardian was slammed violently against the wall and fell uncounscious on the ground with a weak whimper. Will charged again to deliver her the coup de grace, but Himerish suddenly attacked her and Will was forced to recede.

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The hooded figure was fast. He had not only dodged Taranee's fire, but he had also managed to hit her and to send her K.O.. With orror, Himerish saw that the hooded had no intention of stopping: he saw his hand full of energy and ready to inflict a mortal blow to the fainted girl. Then the warrior sprank forward and attacked him as fast as he could, but to his great surprise she missed him even if he managed to interrupt his attack.

The two faced each other. The mysterious warrior was olding the Orb tight in his left hand. Himerish took out his sword and began to attack him, aiming to wound him, he didn't want to kill. He wanted to find out who was he and why he knew about the Orb's existence.

But the hooded was fast and gifted with a certain grace. He avoided his attacks with apparent ease and, when he managed to open a gap or to take his distance, attacked aiming for Himerish's vital points. He was dangerous.

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Will was in a difficult situation. If she kept in losing time she would have lost the Orb, not to mention that that the other Guaridan could have come. Will had no desire to face them all together along with Himerish, she didn't yet know her power well enough to think to win.

Himerish, the ex-Oracle, was very strong, stronger than every other Rifel's warrior. His attacks were fast, powerful and accurate and didn't decreased in power. If he kept like this he would have managed to defeat her. She had the Orb in her hand ans she couldn't attack freely.

She saw at her right side the fainted Taranee and she had an idea. Without esitation she jumped back, Himerish's sword slipped just under her hood and ran close to her face, scratching it. Will didn't let her guard fall and addressed an energy blow against Taranee. It was impossible to miss her.

* * *

Himerish followed his enemy's action with his eyes and immediately realized his intentions. He threw himself toward Taranee and shielded her with his body. He had nullified the attack, but he also had given space to his opponent to escape. The hooded, fast as the wind, took the exit and ran into the corridor. The warrior chased him, but he was fast and had more advantage. As soon as he stepped out of the manor he vanished with the Orb.

Mission accomplished.

Himerish saw the hooded figure vanishing before his eyes and came back to Taranee. He helped her and the girl sat.

"Did we... did we catch him?" she asked.

"He ran away." Himerish answered.

"But what did he want?"

He wanted the Red Orb. It was kept in Heaterfield from time immemorial, I thought that nobody knew its location... but I was wrong."

"But Why?"

"I'll tell you in Kandrakar. Now it is imperative thet the other girls reach us as soon as possible!" the warrior replied.

They quickly went out from Ludmoore Manor, then Taranee called for the other girls. A danger threatened Kandrakar again, and they still hadn't found Will.

Himerish looked at his blade, stained with the blood of that mysterious hooded warrior who had been able to keep up with him, and wiped it with the hill's grass.

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The part with the cat statues... I dreamt it. THE WHOLE SCENE. Weird, isn't it?

**Thank you for the review, I'm trying to be good and to reply to everyone.**

**See you with the next one: **_**The three Keys.**_


	10. The three Keys

**I don't own W.I.T.C.H., it's from Disney.**

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10. The three keys

'_It's too late to turn back.'_

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Kandrakar.

Yan Lin, Himerish, Orube and the four WITCH were sitting in circle. Taranee, Irma, Cornelia and Hay Lin were waiting for an explanation. Yan Lin had just been informed of what had happened and looked very worried.

"Grandma, could you tell us what happened? Why it's so serious? What has been stolen tonight? Hay Lin asked.

"I think that I will let Himerish talk, girls" the Oracle answered, "He has been Oracle for a longer time than me, and he witnessed the creation of the object which has been stolen tonight."

"True." The warrior said, "What was stolen today is one of the Three Keys which can be used to arrive at Kandrakar. The Red Orb, the Yellow Orb, the Blue Orb. They are three, they were created many thousand years ago and hidden in different places of the Universes, places that are full of magic."

"And why Kandrakar should have to spread around Keys to come here? Isn't this a bit imprudent?" Taranee asked.

"Yes, it is. It's risky. But the Keys were, and are, well-protected by guardians, even if tonight the protection had been useless. The Three Keys were created to allow the Sages of different worlds to reach the Center of Infinity.

Many years ago, the philosophers, the thinkers and the intellectuals who came to know the Secret started a course os study and sacrifice to discover the Orbs' location. And once they discovered it, they could use them to get to Kandrakar, the place of wisdom, and to be judged by the Oracle if they were worthy of becoming Kandrakar Sages. Once used the Orbs were moved to another place so the research could always start again from its very beginning. Usually the Guardians awake against who had evil intentions, just like tonight. But apparently the intruder was prepared, because he still managed to steal the Red Orb."

That guy didn't seem very philosopher" Taranee said, "I think someone sent him."

Himerish nodded: "I agree with you. That was a pawn. A dangerous pawn. There's soemone else who's pulling the strings behind all. And this someone is aiming for Kandrakar."

"We must enhance the protecions around the Keys" Yan Lin said, "it is essential to defend them. To get to Kandrakar, they only have to take two Keys. They mustn't take the other Orbs."

"They are without doubt those black-dressed guys who had attacked us two months ago." Irma said. "There's no mistake."

"It's true." Taranee nodded. "Also this guy was dressed in black."

"Girls" Yan Lin started, "this is the plan: you will return in Heaterfield for now, you'll be called at th right time. Be careful and never lower your guard. The enemy is sly, he acts in the shadows and doesn't come to light. We will try to discover something from here about this mysterious opponent."

"And Will?" Cornelia asked.

"I'll keep on looking for her" Orube assures, "you only have to focus on Kandrakar's defence. Leave her research to me."

"Thank tou...Orube." The girls nodded and dematerialized together with Orube, leaving Yan Lin alone with Himerish.

"What do you think?" the old lady asked.

"I'm worried." The other replied. "Someone wants to master the Keys by force. And he is succeeding, it had never happened. To defeat the Orbs' guardians a very strong magical power it's needed. That hooded warrior was really strong, Yan Lin. He was fast and well-trained. If there was more of a warrior of that level in our enemy's ranks I'd begin to fear for the girls' lives."

Yan Lin nodded: "Yes... I'll summon the Sages immediately. We will focus all our energies to identify our opponents. This time the girls won't be alone: this time Kandrakar will fight at their side."

"Perfect. Now I'll go where the Yellow Orb is kept to check if everything is all right. Fortunately for us, it's kept in Basiliade." Himerish said.

* * *

Will bowed in front of her master, she took off the hood and handed him the Red Orb. Rifel took it with his hands. As soon as he touched the Orb its light began to become weaker and weaker.

"Excellent." He smiled while he examined it. He looked up toward the girl, half-closing his eyes: "But who did this to you?" He asked, noticing the scratch on Will's cheek.

"Himerish of Basiliade, my Lord." She answered.

Rifel's eyes flashed with hatred: "Him! The ex-Oracle! I thought that he had gone to never come back, but I was wrong, apparently." He regained his calm and continued: "Well, maybe it's better. It means that among our victory's trophies there will also be his corpse. But now we will have to be more careful, his presence threatens to complicate things.

You will leave immediately and you'll bring me the second Orb, Will. It is kept just in Basiliade. We must not give them the time to organize a proper defence. Speed is essential to carry out our plan."

"Yes, my Lord." Will said. Rifel looked at her seriously. He approached her and brushed her scratched face, healing it. He bent over her as he had done the first time and whispered:

"You'll never let them hurt you in the face again, Will. Never more."

Will didn't return the look and remained silent. She put on her hood and vanished without a sound directed toward Basiliade.

Rifel sat down at his desk, contemplating the Orb that was now in his possession. The Red Orb, the Destruction. It was the Orb that suited him the most. He smiled as he stared at his reflection in the Orb's opaque red colour.

* * *

Himerish arrived in Basiliade. The fire red suns lit his way while he headed quickly toward the Garden where the Yellow Orb was kept. Once arrived he could have organized a defence strong enough to stop everything. The Guardians were ready and only waited for Kandrakar's call, but they were always four. Incomplete, without Will.

The ex-Oracle adressed a worried thought toward the Heart Keeper, and he hoped with all his heart that she was all right wherever she was. He would have found her no matter what, once the alarm had returned. He owed it to her for everything Will had done when he was Kandrakar's lord.

He arrived at the Garden and entered immediately in the Palace where the Keys was kept. Nobody came to greet him. In the hall, in the rooms, all around, nobody was there.

Bad sign.

Himerish quickened his pace and walked stealthily to remain unseen. He had a terrible feeling. When he came to the Orb's room he stopped, and then saw:

More than ten warriors lay in the ground without moving. The swords lay abandoned on the floor, broken.

The floor was red with blood, the air filled with its smell. And in the middle of the room there was _him, _again, the hooded intruder. In a hand he had the Orb, and with the other he was slowly strangling an eleventh warrior.

This time Himerish lost no time. He throwed himself against his enemy pulling out his sword and infusing it with energy. The other saw him and dropped his victim on the ground, he lowered quickly and took one of the broken swords on the floor. Then he attacked back.

The blades clashed. Blue sparks sprang from Himerish's, while reddish discharges surrounded nervously the hooded's blade. The two fighters tried to penetrate in the other opponent's guard, a moment of distraction could be fatal.

The hooded's hands were red with the warriors' blood. Himerish and him took distance at the same time and remained still, both in guard, and faced each other.

"Who are you?" Himerish asked, trying to probe the darkness under his hood. "Who did send you?"

The other didn't say anything.

"Who did send you?" The warrior the asked again, "Someone controls you, right? You're nothing more than a pawn, someone higher than you pulls the strings of everything!"

And once again the other didn't answered. But Himerish saw him slowly pull out something from his pocket, and then throw it to him. Himerish grabbed it.

It was a chess pawn.

A bishop.

How ironic.

It was then that the other started again to attack, with greater enthusiasm and with more deadly accuracy.

* * *

Him again. Himerish again. Will was not surprised to see him in Basiliade since it was his homeland, but it was still annoying to find him again so soon. Will had easily defeated the warriors that had tried to stop her, but they had still managed to slow her enough to give Himerish the time to catch her in the middle of the theft.

Himerish was really strong. Until that time Will had never met someone so powerful... maybe apart from Rifel. But she had no fear. Fear slows your moves, blinds your perception and causes your defeat. And the defeat is for the weaks. She attacked with calculated coldness trying to catch her opponent with down guard and to thrust her sword.

But she hadn't considered a little particular. The last warrior that Will had tried to strangle was still moving and she hadn't noticed that he was approching her crawling. The warrior grabbed her ankle and unbalanced her. Himerish took advantage of it and stuck his sword in her shoulder.

Will let out a groan and dropped the Orb. Himerish was immediately on her, but she pushed him away with a kick. She rolled away holding her injured arm. The mission had failed.

Himerish had grabbed the Orb and now he held it firmly in his hands. It was impossible to retrieve it. Will then vanished an istant before that an energy blow throwed by Himerish hit her.

* * *

When Himerish saw that the hooded had run away for the second time he approached the fallen men. They were all wounded to death, but a warrior from Basiliade is hard to die. The ex-Oracle knew what he had to do:

He raised high the Yellow Orb and a golden light lit all the room, healing every wound and restoring all their energies. The warriors moaned and slowly recovered their senses. The one who had grabbed Will's ankle kneeled in front of Himerish:

"We beg your pardon, Sir!" he exclaimed with tears in his eyes, "but he was too strong."

"It's all right. The Orb is safe now." The other replied.

"What are we going to do now, Sir? He ran away."

"Yes… once again." Himerish said to himself, "_She _ran away." He had heard his enemy's moan when he had wounded her.

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I want to sleep. But I wanted to update this first. I hope you'll enjoy it, now I'm going to bed. Goodnight guys... or maybe good afternoon to you xD.

**P.S. Wow, lots of review for my last chapter... thank you!**

**Next one: **_**The last key must be protected.**_


	11. The last Key must be protected

**I don't own W.I.T.C.H., it's from DISNEY.**

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11.

**The last key must be protected.**

'_She never failed. She learned very early that the Dark Lord's fury was something much more terrible than any pain she had ever faced in battle.'_

"You failed." Rifel said.

Will stood in front of her master, motionless. She felt her blood dripping slowly from the wound on her shoulder, drop by drop. Her power allowed her to resist from the moment, she couldn't show any fatigue, but sooner or later she should have been cured or the blood loss would have been too much even for her.

"I beg your pardon, my Lord." She said. "I won't fail anymore. Next time nothing will stop me."

She felt her hatred for the ex-Oracle boiling in her veins, increasing her power, she could feel it lingering on her fingertips. Rifel noticed that and nodded:

"Yes, Will," he said, "it's hatred that make you strong. The disdain, the rage, give you the strenght to keep on standing up even when everyone abandon you.

Now the Yellow Orb is in Kandrakar's hands. Impossible thinking to get it. Luckily for us, to penetrate the Fortress we only need two on three Orbs, but this means that the next Key will be vital for us. If we fail, years of work will be wasted.

The end is near. It's time that the King now make his move. It's time that also I take the field."

Rifel would have fought too? Will looked at him... and shivered. The Mage noticed that and smiled:

"You fear me? It's right. Although strong, an obedient servant always fears his master. But now let's get back to you, Will, and to your punishment."

Rifel waved his hand with indifference and instantly Will felt that every muscle of her body contracted painfully and violently. She cried and fell face down on the floor, feeling in her mouth the taste of blood and the floor's cold stone. The pain kept on increasing mercylessy and she couldn't think to nothing except from the pain. She would have given everything to stop that torture, she couldn't bear it...

From an enourmous distance, she heard Rifel talking:

"Pain is like a noose, Will" he said, "it narrows to people's neck inexorably. Pain and suffering break any hero. They'll cry until their voices fade, but in the end they will give up, like everyone else."

The Mage towered on her and ripped her tunic on her back, where a dark rune pulsing with reddish light had been impressed. The rune pulsed stronger and Will's cries filled the room.

"Do you want me to stop?" Rifel asked.

"Y-yes…" Will gasped, "I beg you… s-stop it… please…"

Rifel quietened the rune and Will's muscles relaxed. The girl remained without moving at the Mage's feet, panting.

"Will you disappoint me again?" he asked in a low tone.

"N-never more." She answered.

Rifel smiled and took of his mantle. He let it fall to cover Will:

"Very well. Now recover, because we will leave soon. It's time to put an end to this story."

He turned and left the room, leaving at his back the streched figure of Will, who tried to stand up with difficulty:

"Y-yes, my Lord..." her words echoed in the empty room.

_

* * *

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Kandrakar.

In Kandrakar, the girls had been summoned again urgently.

"Not even the time to breathe!" Irma commented, "a poor girl doesn't have time to say 'Kandrakar' that she already has to go back!"

"Technically 'Kandrakar' is not so easy to say," Hay Lin pointed out, "you should have thought about something else."

"Himerish!"

"Well, we'll get it then. It doesn't seem that much easier." The Air Guardian continued.

"_No_, Hay Lin, I mean that Himerish is here!" Irma sighed, pointing to a point behind the girl. They turned and saw that Himerish had actually come back. He was heading toward them together with Yan Lin:

"Girls, come with us."

The Oracle led them to the place where the Yellow Orb was kept. The Key shone with dull light as if it had no more energy.

"So this is the Yellow Orb?" Cornelia asked. "Why is it here? I thought it was kept in Basiliade."

"In fact, it was" Himerish replied, "but apparently neither the enemy lost time. Our mysterious thief was already there. Luckily I managed to stop her before she had the time to steal the Orb."

"So she's female?" Taranee asked. Himerish nodded.

"Female warriors are always the best." Irma said.

"Shut your mouth, Irma, do a favour to the world." Cornelia snapped.

"Why?"

"So if we manage to rescue the third one" Taranee interrupted the two girls, " the Fortress will be safe?"

"I don't know if we'll be safe, but at least we will prevent them from getting here." The warrior said.

"But where is the third Orb kept?" Cornelia asked.

"In a place that you girls know wery well." Yan Lin answered, "In Meridian."

"Meridian! Cornelia exclaimed, "but if the Orb is kept there, then why Phobos didn't try to use it to get here?" she asked. Himerish answered her:

"Phobos goal wasn't Kandrakar's achievement, girls. He wanted to conquer Earth because he knew that Elyon was hidden there, his sister and potential source of a huge power. Maybe if he had managed to obtain her, only after that he would have thought to attack us. But without the power of the Light of Meridian he would have had no hope. I believe that Phobos knew this, this is the reason that led him to not to act."

"It is essential to keep safe the last Orb." Yan Lin said.

"Yes," a voice continued, "the last Key must be protected." The girls turned and saw that Endarno, warrior and Kandrakar's sage, had entered the room.

"I'm glad to see you're fine, Guardians." He greeted them, "I heard about the young Keeper. I want you to know that once we have removed this threat I'll try my best to help you in your friend's research." He said.

"Thank you, Sir." They answered, grateful.

Endarno turned toward Himerish and Yan Lin: "Basiliade's chosen warriors ar at your service." He said, "They will help us in protecting the Blue Orb."

"Perfect."

"Yan Lin," Taranee asked suddenly, "can I ask you something? Why this Orb looks so... dead?"

"It fell asleep." Yan Lin answered. "It sleeps because Himerish used its power to save the life of its protectors. Now it will take a long time before its power could return.

You have to know that each Key has a power, girls, each important to guide those who own them to Kandrakar:

The Red Orb, the Destruction, opens a forced passage toward Kandrakar. The passage is unstable and dangerous, just a faux step to get lost in other worlds.

The Yellow Orb, the Healing, stabilizes the passage making him easier to cross.

And the Blue Orb, the Comprehension, gives you the skill to chose the right path toward the Fortress without getting lost.

All three together form the door to get to Kandrakar safely, owning only two Keys increases the risks, but it is still possible."

"Girls," Himerish spoke, "we will go together to Meridian. Queen Elyon has already been informed of our arrival. We will protect the Orb; Endarno and Orube with their soldiers will join us as soon as possible."

_

* * *

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Meridian.

"Elyon! Good to see you!"

"Girls," Elyon smiled with joy as she rose from her throne, "you can't imagine how happy I am to see you!" She descended the stairs that separated her from the four Guardians and rushed toward them, hugging them happily.

"But where's Will?" she asked, "Why she's not here?"

Cornelia turned incredulous toward Himerish: "She doesn't know?" she exclaimed with a hint of reproach against the warrior.

"I'm sorry." The other replied, "We thought that it was better is she knew from you."

The explanations were concise. At the end Elyon, shocked, said:

"And so she's... gone? You haven't found her yet?"

"No... she's still... missing." Taranee said.

"You'll have all my help." Elyon affirmed regally. "I swear you, girls, I'll help you with all myself."

"Thank you, Ellie."

"Elyon please, guide us to the Orb." Himerish said. Elyon nodded and told them to follow her. They left the throne room together to pass through the entire Palace, until they reached the underground's entrance. They kept on getting deeper and deeper until they came to an enourmous door:

"Wow" Hay Lin commented, "This door is spatial!"

"And you haven't seen the inside yet." Elyon answered opening the door.

It was the biggest room they had ever seen. All the room was enveloped in a warm blue light, giving them the feeling to be immersed in a dream. And from the huge ceiling hidden in the dark flowed multiple cascades of pure energy which throwed in a small river that ran along the entire room's perimeter.

"This is the Key's Room." Elyon said, "Come with me, there's someone you have to see."

"They got in the room and saw that many soldiers intent on polishing their weapons and setting up tents were camping there: the guards chosen by Elyon to defend the Orb.

The Blue Orb was kept on a pedestal in the middle of the room. At each side stood two figures that the girls knew very well:

"Caleb! Vathek! You're here!"

"And where should we be?" Vathek laughed, "Our place is here, at Elyon's side!"

"Hello Big Boy, you're getting bluer and bluer." Irma said greeting Vathek. The big blue man smiled:

"And you are even more fascinating, little fairy."

"Ok," Himerish started, "now that we are all here let's begin to organize. Girls, guard the Orb's sides. Behind you will stay Elyon. Vathek and Caleb, you'll stay on the front with me!"

"Yes sir!"

They arranged as Himerish had ordered. They began to do duty guards, but all was calm.

Himerish had a strange feeling. He was sure that even this time his mysterious opponent would have come, but he could not get out of his mind that strange sensation. It was as if were vital for them to defeat her. As if their victory depended on that fact...

Hours passed. After about three hours Caleb whispered:

"Hey guys, don't you think that there is... a bit too much silence? The soldiers should do some noise."

Himerish frowned: "He's right. Go to see, Caleb."

The boy left the group and went out of sight, swallowed by the room's blueish light. For a while the silence returned in the room, but then his hurried footsteps signeling that Caleb was coming back quickly:

"All asleep, they're all asleep! They don't answer if I move them, they don't wake up!" he exclaimed, clutching the hilt of his sword.

"A spell." Himerish said, "They're here."

New footsteps suddenly broke the silence. The defender turned in the same direction all together to finally face their enemy.

Two figures were approaching. One was perfectly recognizable: it was the mysterious hooded warrior; she walked silently like a shadow and on her back she carried a long black-blade sword. At her side stood a tall man with long black hair without hood. The two stopped at about ten metres away.

"Himerish." Rifel said, speaking for first, "I thought that you were gone forever once you had given up your right to Oracle."

"Rifel..." the warrior replied half-closing his eyes, "I should have imagined it."

"But you didn't." The other provoked him, "Well, better for me, I should say. Oh, and I believe that you have already met my apprentice, havent't you?" he said, and the hooded figure stepped forward, pulling out her sword threateningly.

"This time won't be easy, whoever you are!" Cornelia exclaimed, "Damned coward, you'll get what you deserve!" Rifel looked at her amused:

"Guardians... you're four. But where is the fifth Guardian…? He asked them.

"Enough!" Himerish snapped. "You are here for the Blue Orb."

"Correct." Rifel replied, "And you certaintly won't stop me."

"You are outnumbered" Caleb exclaimed, "you have no hope to win."

"This is why I brought a friend..." the Black Mage replied in a calm tone, pulling out from his pocket a little black seed. He dropped it in the energy river, where it was engulfed by the golden liquid. For an instant nothing happened, then the liquid started to boil furiously:

"I don't like it..." Hay Lin whispered, "I don't like it at all..."

An enourmous black dragon emerged from the river roaring with fury. Ruby red eyes immediatly fixed in the Guardians. Enraged, the monster roared spewing out a powerful burst of fire in their direction. Taranee blocked tha blow and throwed it far away from them:

"C'mon, can't you do something better, lizard skin?" she asked.

The dragon opened the wings closed on its back and started to fly. With a powerful roar he pulled out its claws and nosedived against the girls, its mouth wide open and ready to devour them.

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Lots of people care for Will. Everyone wants to help. But Will can't see them...

**Yes, Will has a rune on her back. A nasty rune with all those nice effects, but I'll explain in another chapter why and how Rifel impressed it on her. :P**

**Many of you said: "Hm, now Himerish may figure out that is Will..." and I answer at this question with my opinion:**

**Well yes, he could find out something... but he doesn't. Because Will is supposed to have no power, and for another reason: they all thought bad of Will once, and now she's gone. They felt her sadness and they saw their mistake, so now they're feeling guilty. So guilty that they are not going to think again so easily that their friend is their new enemy. See that as mental block.**

**Ahah this time Will came with a weapon... she doesn't want to fail again :P.**

**Next chapter will be a total fight xD. **

**Number 12:**_**Blue Key, Black Danger.**_


	12. Blue Key, Black Danger

**I don't own W.I.T.C.H., it's from DISNEY.**

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12. Blue Key, Black Danger

The dragon spat fire against them again. Cornelia put her hands on the ground and summoned a huge stone wall which shielded them from the flames. The monster crashed against the wall and began to tore it with its claws.

"I can't resist forever!" Cornelia shouted, "Lend me a hand!

"Ask and you shall receive" Irma answered and adressed a high-pressure water jet towards the dragon.

The water jet directly hit the wing, piercing it.

The black dragon roared with pain and waved its tail. Irma was hit and thrown away by it.

"IRMA!" Hay Lin cried. The Air Guardian summoned a tornado which trapped the monster. Taranne took advantage of that and joined her fire to Hay Lin's tornado. The fire suddenly burned all Hay Lin's air becoming one hundred times more powerful. The tornado turned into a fire coloumn that entirely enveloped the beast and lit most of the room with reddish light. The dragon disapeared for a while to their sight, swallowed by that hellfire, but then the monster made its way between the flames and emerged from then pratically unharmed.

"Maybe trying to carbonize a fire-breathing dragon wasn't a very smart move." Taranee commented. "Where's Irma? How is she?"

"She's over there!"

Irma was coming back and flew at high speed towards them. She summoned a powerful water wave that went to hit the dragon. The monster was umbalanced by the blow.

"Great!" Cornelia exulted. The blonde materialised some large and robusted lianas and wrapped them around the dragon's legs.

"And now... FALL!" Cornelia and Hay Lin cried together, while the Earth Guardian pulled the lianas and the Air Guardian pushed it back with a strong wind. The dragon fell with a crash causing a hole in the floor. It roared and began to claw and bite furiously the tendrils to free itself.

"Wow, it's really coriacerous..." Cornelia said.

"Well, let's see if it can withstand this!" Irma exclaimed, "C'mon, Hay Lin, let's to it together!"

"OK!" Hay Lin shouted.

The two girls flew both over the dragon. Cornelia closed its mouth with ither tendrils so it couldn't use fire. Irma summoned a water blow and threw it against the dragon. The water took form of a half-moon as it descended, and Hay Lin directed ad the same time a cold air jet on the water. The water turned into a sharp ice blade which cut cleanly the dragon's neck. The monster's body stirred briefly, then it stopped.

"It's over? Is this thing dead?" Taranee asked.

"It's headless. It looks pretty dead." Cornelia answered.

"Perfect. Let's go and help the others then!"

But their victory didn't last for long. The dragon's body suddenly started to move again. The legs were freed from the vines and came back on their feet. Three not-well identified bumbs began to grow from the cut neck and exploded all together in three new heads even more angrier. The heads stared at the Guardians and roared at the same time making the air vibrate.

"It's... it's not a dragon..." Hay Lin stammered, "It's an hydra!"

* * *

Rifel spoke to Will:

"Take the Orb. Remove all the obstacles in your way. Go, and don't desappoint me, Himerish is mine."he said.

Will nodded and started to ran toward the pedestal. Himerish was about to stop her, but then he changed his mind:

"Caleb! Vathek! She must be stopped!" he ordered.

"Yes Sir!" they answered.

Himerish and Rifel remained alone and faced each other. The Black Mage opened his hand and summoned a curved-blade sword:

"Do you really think that someone could stop her? Nobody can." He said.

"Don't understimate us, Rifel. You'll be stopped." Himerish replied raising his sword.

"Let's stop talking, then. Let our blades dance!" the two opponents railed against each other with violence and began to fight. The clashes' echo filled the room, their powers assaulted each other like two ferocious wolves.

"You'd been a fool to give your right to Oracle up," Rifel provoked him, "You had all those worlds at your feet... and you went away. You were Kandrakar's Lord... and you chose to be simple warrior!"

"I don't expect you to understand." Himerish replied looking for an opening, "You've never seen nothing but power. Everything else is useless for you!"

"And so it must be!" The Mage suddenly shouted, "It's power the only thing that matters! And I will rip it off from Yan Lin's cold hands once Kandrakar will be destroyed!" Rifel's power suddenly increased and Himerish was forced to recoil to remain on his feet. Rifel took advantage of that and began to press him more violently.

"Damn you, What did you do to Will?" Himerish asked then, "You kidnapped her!"

Rifel smile condescendingly: "Will? I'm sorry, but I didn't kidnap anybody. I suppose she's the fifth Guardian. Don't you think, Himerish," he asked then with an amused flash in his golden eyes, "that if I had her I would have already taken advantage of that?" He managed to break the warrior's guard and to slightly wound him. Himerish clenched his teeth and rose his guard again.

* * *

"You won't pass!" Caleb exclaimed bravely pointing his sword against Will. Will attacked him; he was no match for her. The young warrior was disarmed in about thirty seconds and he found himself helpless in face of his opponent. Will was about to strike again when Vathek tried to grab her from behind. Will lowered just in time and dodged the big man's hands. She let herself fall on her back and pulled herself backwards with her feet. Will slipped between Vathek's legs and went quickly back on her feet at his back. Vathek istinctively threw his arm backwards and blocked Will's blade which wounded him only superficially thanks to his hard skin.

Will snorted. If the sword wasn't effective, then she would have tried something else. She sheated her weapon and jumped on the big blue man's shoulders. She tightened her arms at his neck and held him firmly. Then she began to summon an electic shock.

"RAAARGHH" Vathek cried. He moved trying to stand off Will, but it was useless. After a few seconds he fell on the floor with a bump without moving, defeated by Will's shock.

"DAMN YOU!" Caleb shouted furiously. He picked his sword up and threw himself against her with a series of furious assaults.

'_He's faster than before'_ Will considered, _'Rifel is really right. It's hatred that makes you stronger.'_

She dodged Caleb's assaults and puled out her sword again, fast as light. She disarmed him again with no effort, but this time Caleb pulled out a knife from his belt and tried to steb her. Will waited coldly for him and stopped the blade by sliding it between two fingers. She took the knife with a movement of her hand, and then she gave it back to Caleb. In his stomach.

Caleb cried and fell on the ground trying to stem with his hands the blood loss. Will rose her sword to put an end to Caleb's pain, but a powerful energy blow suddenly hit her throwing her away. She rolled for a couple ok metres and then she quickly went back on her feet.

'_Not a bad shot...really...'_ the girl thought. Elyon was now facing her; her hands were up, ready to strike, and were shinning with energy:

"This time isn't going to be easy." The Queen told her. Her face was streaked with tears of anger at what Will had done to Caleb.

Elyon was strong, Will would have had to be very careful. The two girls remained still for a while, then Will quickly attacked her. Elyon summoned a barrier all around her where Will's attack shattered. The Queen clenched his fists and a moltitude of arms and hands flowed from the barrier and headed for the hooded figure. Will recoiled as fast as she could; some hands almost touched her.

"I've told you." Elyon repeated. "It won't be easy!"

Will grimaced. She couldn't approach. She joined her hands and summoned a red energy sphere as big as an apple. She started to shape it up to give it two wings and a sharp beak. Once she finished, an energy crow was fliying at her side.

"Nice." Elyon teased her, "Does it do something, in addition to flying?" Will waved her hand towards Elyon and the crow immediately nosedived against the Queen. Elyon summoned again her barrier and the animal crashed against it; but when its body touched Elyon's defense, the crow violently exploded forcing Elyon, who had to make a strong effort to mantain the barrier, to step back.

"Not bad..." she commented in the smoke, "Oh, fu..."

Another five crows suddenly penetrated the barrier of smoke to attack her. Elyon closed herself in defence, focusing to not being hit. The explosions' echo became defeaning and the smoke became so dense that hid everything.

Elyon wasn't seeing anything. She waited ansiouxly with her barrier up, panting, trying to notice something through the thick smoke. But when it desappeared Elyon saw that her opponent was gone.

"Where did she...?" Elyon said starting to look around her. A sound of beating wings made her suddenly looking up.

Her opponent was in air, exactly over her. She was flying supported by two large feathered energy wings. Will flew higher and took aim:

'_Dodge this, Light of Meridian.'_ She tought. She violently slammed her wings and threw the feathers that made them right against Elyon. The feathers came down as fast as a thousand arrows and bombed the Queen's barrier. The magic wall shattered after a few seconds and Elyon was fully hit by that rain of energy arrows.

Will's wings, completely bare, couldn't support her anymore. Will landed agile in face of her opponent. Elyon was on the ground, annihilated and motionless.

"ELYON!" Caleb cried, then he groaned and fainted.

The Orb was in front of her, only a few metres were separating them. Will passed over Elyon's body without losing time. The Orb was her priority and now it was within her reach.

The Key sent blueish reflexions on her black tunic. The last Key and then they finally would have been able to reach Kandrakar, and Will could have obliterated what had made her suffer so much, along with its inhabitants.

She reached out to grab the Orb. She was about ten inches from the Key, she could feel its power... when suddenly a defeaning roar invaded the room and something similar to a white and red fury strongly hit her sending her away from her target.

"Not so fast!" Endarno exclaimed holding her tightly. The reinforcements from Basiliade had arrived! About one hundred soldiers spread in the room, some of them tried to wake the sleeping soldiers, some rescued the injured. Others headed for the fighters.

"Orube!" Endarno ordered, "Help the Guardians!"

"Yes Sir!"

"And now let's fight," the old warrior said, "you have to go a long way before thinking to defeat a Supreme Warrior from Basiliade!"

'_CRAP!' _Will thought,_ 'Unexpected reinforcements. This is bad.'_ With the strenght of despair she managed to free herself from the warrior's grasp. Endarno and Will were thrown away from each other. Will rolled badly in the round up to the energy river. She stood up just in time to block Endarno's assault.

"You're fast." The warrior commented. "Your master taught you well!"

Will pushed him away from her and began to press him with her sword. The warrior followed her rythm and they began to fight furiously.

Nobody had noticed the little black seed that Will had let fall in the river.

* * *

The four Guardians were having a hard time. The three hydra's heads didn't gave them respite, they kept on chasing them and on spitting fire all around. The reinforcements couldn't even come close.

"Girls, we can't do it!" Cornelia exclaimed panting, "This thing is impossible to knock down!"

"We'd better think something, or it will beat us!" Taranee answered her.

"Girls, do you need a hand?" Orube joined them. One of the three heads pointed straight at her, but the warrior dodged her with a high jump and hit its eye, blinding it.

"Nice shot!" Taranee said. "But we don't know how to shoot it down. If we cut the heads they will grow up again. We can handle these three, but we need to think something quickly!"

The hydra waved its tail angrily and swept away a group of warriors that was trying to attack it from behind.

"Let's start with getting rid of the tail!" Orube said firmly.

"And let's hope it won't grow again." The Fire Guardian continued.

Irma began to hit the monster with water, drawing the three heads' attention. Hay Lin kept on flying all around following Orube's model and throwing air blow aiming for its eyes. The other four girls headed straight for the tail and cut it hitting all together. The hydra roared and curled up on itself.

"It worked!" Hay Lin exulted, "Look, it seems it has lost the will to fight!"

"Maybe... but I don't like that gaze..." Irma commented.

The hydra was looking at them with an incredibly wicked gaze. The three heads straightened all of a sudden. Two of them looked at each other and started suddenly to devour the third head.

"Whoa, what the heck they're doing?" Hay Lin commented horrified.

"It can't be..." Cornelia said.

Three new heads grew drom the eaten one. Now they were five. The monster repeated the process until the Guardians found themselves in front of seven new angry heads.

"This... This is not fair! This is cheating!" Irma cried indignant. The seven heads were obviously not of the same opinion, because they spat fire all at the same time and a hot fire tsunami headed toward them.

"RUN! I CAN'T BLOCK IT!" Taranee cried.

They took distance. The monster looked invincible.

"Whe have no hope against that forest of heads…" Hay Lin said sadly.

"A forest...? THAT'S IT!" Orube exclaimed. "Girls, I have an idea. Do what I say!"

They headed again for the monster. The hydra opened the mouths and seemed to smile in face of thet ridicolous attack. Taranee, Irma, Conrelia and Orube hit the monster in its chest with all their strenght.

"Ready, Irma?" Hay Lin asked her friend.

"GO! NOW OR NEVER!" the other shouted. They fused again their powers and cut all the seven heads with a only hit. And then the girls quickly froze the hydra's necks so the heads couldn't grow again.

"Great!" the others said.

"Just as a plant!" Cornelia commented, "If it's frozen nothing can't grow, Orube you're a genius!"

"It's not over yet..." the warrior said, "final blow, girls!"

They hit together the monster's heart. The blows hit their target and the hydra exploded in a thousand pieces that turned into dust before touching the ground. The soldiers all around triumphed.

"Let's go and hepl Himerish, now!" Taranee suggested, "If we stop that guy, everything will be over!"

They headed for Himerish and Rifel, who were fighting not far from them. The Black Mage had summoned a high fire wall to keep Basiliade's soldiers away from them. But the girls could pass over it and Taranee could extinguish the fire. Rifel was now defeated, and Endarno wouldn't have taken a long time to defeat thet mysterious hooded warrior.

They were now close to the two warrior, when something suddenly came out from the river and grabbed Orube and Cornelia.

"Orube! Cornelia!" the others shouted.

A giant octopus, born from Will's seed, emerged unexpectedly form the river and waved its tentacles. Taken by surprise, the other Guardians were trapped.

* * *

Himerish saw the octopus.

"You're a damn bastard." He said to Rifel.

"I only play well my cards." The other replied. "And now choose: help your little Guardians and let me take the Orb, or watch them die crushed by that monster."

Himerish groung his teeth. He had no choice. With a cry of despair he pushed away Rifel, passed over the fire and went to help the girls, leaving the Mage free.

* * *

Endarno was having a hard time too. He had seen the monster, but he wasn't able to get rid of his opponent. She was fast and dodged all his attacks. She suddenly took distance and slowly pointed at the octopus with her sword.

"You want me to give up and let you go for the Key? And in return you'll let me hel the girls? Endarno asked. She nodded.

Endarno gripped his sword's hilt so hard that his hand began to bleed. If the black mages had taken the Orb the entire Kandrakar would have been in danger. But if he didn't help them the girls could have died.

"We will meet again..." the warrior finally snarled. "It's a promise. And the next time you won't be so lucky."

Endarno passed her and headed toward the octopus. Will let him go. She didn't waste time and grabbed the Blue Orb.

"A great job." Rifel said approaching her. Will gave him the Orb and he held it tightly.

"And now let's go." The Mage said, "This is not the time for revenge. Let's take the Key away from here first, little one."

Will nodded. The two vanished. But before vanishing Will looked at the battlefield, destroyed by their passage. She looked at Elyon, Vathek and Caleb's bodies. She closed her eyes and let herself vanish.

* * *

Himerish and Endarno attacked the octopus with theis swords. Unluckily for the monster, all its tentacles were occupied to crush someone, so it was defenseless. The monster was beaten by the soldiers and their captains and vanished in a thick smoke cloud, freeing the girls.

"Sir!" Orube coughed, "where... where are the mages?"

"They're gone" Himerish answered her, "And the took away the Orb."

"Damn it!" Irma cursed while tears started to fall from her eyes, "We were so close... so close! And now they'll attack Kandrakar..."

"But we'll fight." Endarno answered solemnly. "We will organize a defense. They will be defeated. Kandrakar is ours, we will beat them... or they will take everything."

"ELYON!" Cornelia cried.

The Earth Guardian had seen her friend lying on the ground and ran toward her. She stared at the Queen's body and at the others without speaking.

"They're... they're..." Hay Lin stammered covering her mouth with a hand.

"...Still alive." Himerish said, who had bent on Elyon. Vathek was moving weakly. He was coriaceous, and Will's blows had only sent him K.O.

"But Caleb..." Cornelia continued as she bent over him. The boy was really pale and was breathing heavily. He'd lost a lot of blood.

"You can heal him." Himerish told her softly, "Trust your power, Cornelia. Trust it."

Cornelia put her hands on the boy's chest and closed her eyes. Her hands started to shine and the light radiated throughout the boy's chest, slowly healing the cut and restoring the tissues. The wound slowly healed and the colour returned to his face. Caleb opened his eyes:

"Cornelia...?" he said weakly. The girl nodded in tears. "Where's… where is Elyon? Is she ok...?"

"She's fine." Himeirsh answered him. The warrior had restored the girls strenghts and she was now on her feet, supported by Irma and Taranee. With their help Elyon approached Caleb and the two hugged with passion. They had both feared to have lost the person they loved.

"The Key is lost..." Elyon whispered. Caleb squeezed her gently.

"But the war is still to fight. We haven't lost yet." Himerish said.

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Chapter 12! Woah, sometimes I'd like to know English well, and write in a better way...

Ahah Rifel likes to tease other people, bad, bad guy. He should be punished.

**Thank you guys for reading this, I wanna wish you a lovely Christmas and happy holidays!**

**Next chapter 13: **_**War and broken masks.**_


	13. War and Broken Masks

**I do not own W.I.T.C.H., it's from Disney.**

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13. War and Broken Masks

_Kandrakar._

The mood a Kandrakar was not the best. Rifel had managed to take the Last Orb, and now he would have attacked. Endarno had already left to organize the Fortress' defences. Yan Lin had entrusted him the leadership. Now Himerish was with them, silent and with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"So you know that Mage... Rifel." Taranee suddenly said breaking the silence.

Himerish sighed and nodded: "Yes, I know him." He said. He paused and then he started to speak:

"Many, many years ago, when I was Oracle and you weren't even born, in a world already used to magic was born a very gifted baby, who was called Rifel. The child had an incredible magical power, he could learn every kind of magic in no time, and furthermore he showed a great thirst for knowledge.

He was his world's pride; Rifel grew and became a man, a respected sage known even beyond his homeland.

The Fortress noticed him. Kandrakar had followed his growth and seen his progress, so it was decided that Rifel would be invited here, in Kandrakar, directly and without passing for longer ways. Here he would have been judged by the Council first, and then by the Oracle, in order to decide if he was worthy to become a member of the Council.

Then Rifel was questioned by the Sages. All went for the best. The Mage showed himself as an erudite and gentle man, capable of comprehension beyond the expectations.

After that my turn came. Rifel and I were alone and I began with my exam. Rifel answered all my questions in a perfect way. Too much perfect.

But I was able to read in his soul's depht and penetrated over his falseness' courtain. I saw the truth: Rifel was false, he wasn't worthy of becoming a Sage of Kandrakar: he was selfish and power-hungry, he wanted to achieve Kandrakar to find its secrets and increase his power in order to rule over everything.

I realized that and I banished him. But Rifel didn't accept it. He attacked me and we began to fight. But I was the Oracle and he was young. Though he was strong, he wasn't enough. Rifel was defeated, but he was able to escape and to hide to Kandrakar's eyes, even to mine."

"And now he's back." Cornelia completed.

"Yes." Himerish agreed, "Now he's back. And he's stronger and more organized than before. He found powerful servants. It's not alone. Girls," Himerish asked looking in their eyes, "I'm about to ask you to take part in a important decision: I ask you to fight at my side to erase this evil from Kandrakar's heavens. You are free to choose whether to stay or not because the fight will be dangerous and harsh."

"You're kidding?" Cornelia immediately answered him, "What did we do until now? D'you really think that we would have fought that nasty dragon if we hadn't been 100% sure?"

"Cornelia's right!" Hay Lin said, "If Rifel wins he will arrive to Earth and to our families. We have to protect everyone!"

"And if we lose" Irma added lowering her gaze, "we will never find Will."

The girl stopped talking. Himerish closed his eyes.

Yes, Will. She was long gone by now. Rifel had said he hadn't abducted her, but Himerish knew that the Mage was a very good liar. But it was also true what the Mage had said, that if he had her, he would have taken advantage of that. But then Why... why...

Yan Lin interrupted his thought's flow:

"I can feel them," the Oracle said. The old lady had her eyes closed and a painfully focused expression. "they're coming. Be prepared."

* * *

"It's all ready." Rifel said. "We're going to leave soon."

The Black Mages army was ready. The warriors had sharpened their weapons and they had been divided into battalions, each guided by five mages. Now they were all waiting for Rifel's orders, their Master and Lord.

The Mage turned towards Will. She was at his side and she was lowering her hood on her eyes once again. It was thanks to her if now the Blue Orb was in his hands. Without her he would have likely employed much more years to achieve Kandrakar.

"Will," Rifel said leaning his hand on her shoulder. "You've always obeyed my orders." Will took off her hood and turned towards him. "I wonder... if you can carry out for me a last mission." He asked her, looking straight into her eyes.

"What are your orders?" she asked.

Rifel told her. Will remained silent with a neutral expression on her face.

"Can you do that, child? He asked her. "If you do it," he added, "you'll prove your loyalty and we'll both have what we want. I won't need of more reassurances..." he smiled, "Do it, Will, and I'll erase the rune on your back and, furthermore, you'll be free to call me no more '_Lord_.'

Do you understand what I'm saying? You will be free once again... can you do it?"

Will thought about that for a while. And finally she gave him her answer:

"I will do it, my Lord." She said.

Rifel grabbed her hood and he put it on her head, hiding it. The Mage nodded, satisfied by his young apprentice's determination:

"Perfect."

Rifel clasped his hands above his head and a strong light left him, irradiating everything. He and his army were teleported in an istant in a wasteland swept by the wind. It was a barren and dead prairie. The army waited silently.

"This is the place." Rifel said. The Mage rose the Red Orb. The Key glowed and a red flash sprang for it, literally breaking the space. A huge portal opened in fron of them, it was an endless vortex. A few soldiers at that sight began to mutter.

After that the Mage rose the Blue Key, and a blue flash plunged in the vortex and turned in a clear path of light, signaling the right way. Rifel spoke to his army:

"My soldiers! The time has come! A Key has opened the portal and the other shows us the way. Do not fear, we won't desappear! We will arrive safe at the Fortress and we'll destroy it! The Sages will fall with their Oracle and Guardians and we will finally rule unopposed. Fight at my side to have part to the endless power we will conquer together!"

A defeaning roar followed his words. The men rose their weapons and prepared to enter the portal along with their Lord.

As soon as they enteres both Will and Rifel sensed that they couldn't stop for long in the passage. The missing of the Yellow Orb made the passage unstable, it could close and trap them at any moment.

"Let's go." Rifel ordered. They began to walk toward Kandrakar.

The portal opened and materialized them not far from the Fortress, between the Infinite's white heavens. Rifel stopped for a second to watch Kandrakar from the distance, remembering when he had seen it for the first time. Yes, he remembered how the Oracle had banished him. But now he would have made him regret that mistake. He would have destroyed everything.

He rose his hands again and began to whisper an arcane melody. He materialized out of nowhere some bscraps which started to assemble together to form giant metallic soldiers. Here was something that Kandrakar's army would have had to worry about.

And when everything was ready the Black Mage ordered to advance to the Fortress' gates. They could see in the distance Kandrakar's defenders, ready to sacrifice their lives in order to protect the Center of the Infinity.

Rifel suddenly stopped together with Will, leaving the army advancing. The Maged turned towards Will, who was at his side. The girl was watching the Fortress with her face hidden by the hood, that was why Rifel couldn't see her expression:

"Will." He said.

"Yes, my Lord." She answered.

"You know what to do."

"Yes."

"And will you do it?" he stared at her with piercing eyes.

"Without esitation." It was the answer, hollow and anexpressive as ever.

"Then go. And don't disappoint me."

"Yes Sir."

And Will rushed forward, sword unsheated, running as fast as she could and taking advantage of the soldiers as a shield. She ran like the wind directed toward Kandrakar.

Her mission was only one.

Finding Yan Lin. The Oracle. Hay Lin's grandmother.

And kill her.

* * *

Kandrakar was ready for the battle. Dark grey clouds were gathering at the Infinite's horizon. In the Hall of the Council all the Sages were gathered along with Yan Lin. The silence in the room was absolute, broken only by the rustling of the Sages' clothes.

"The wait is killing me." Irma whispered to Taranee.

"If we won't be careful this time, it'll be something else that will kill us." The Fire Guardian answered.

"They're coming!" one of the Sages suddenly exclaimed. The girls, Himerish and the Oracle, went out on the hall's balcony to face the invader.

Rifel was there.

He was at the head of his army of mages, black-dressed warriors ready to fight. But all the soldiers stood still at their places, stopping their bloodlust and waiting for their Master's orders. Next to the warriors were the giant empty armors controlled by Rifel's will. Big and minacious, they were all armed with spiked clubs.

Himerish looked for the masked warrior, but he couldn't see her and this worried him. It couldn't be possible that she wasn't at his master's side.

The girls stared at the army and at the man that was challenging the Fortress. Rifel was a man full of knowledge, but corrupted by power. He was also one of the few that had managed to find out the Three Keys' location.

Yan Lin turned towards them and said:

"Girls, I entrusted Endarno with the leadership of our army. Follow his orders and help our warriors. Protect them and don't let the enemy penetrate in the Fortress."

"Yes," Cornelia said, "but you?"

"Grandma, I don't wanna leave you!" Hay Lin exclaimed with watering eyes. Yan Lin smiled and caressed her cheek:

"Don't worry for me. Himerish will stay here at my side." She said.

Irma turned toward Himerish: "Sir... if something happens to Hay Lin's grandmother I... I will come for you! And I'll haunt you until I die." She said, babbling.

"Same here." Taranee nodded.

The warrior smiled and rose his hands in a paceful way: I'll protect her no matter what!" He reassured them. "But now go."

The Guardians nodded. Hay Lin tremble slightly for the tension, Yan Lin saw that and hugged her. And then all the four young Guardians were caught in her loving hug:

"Do your best," the old lady prayed them, "save Kandrakar and all the other Universes."

"We always do that, right? We save the day. This time won't be different!" Irma said. Yan Lin smiled:

"This is the right spirit, child."

The girls went out of the room directed toward the army. Yan Lin silently prayed that the war would end quickly.

"War brings death and destruction on both sides... when two men fight to kill their opponent... there's no justice. Only pain." She said.

The sound of blades and cries suddenly filled the air. It has begun. They could do nothing but protect the Fortress from the inside and hope.

But suddenly something unexpected happened. Something really fast and deadly had climbed the balcony and headed straight toward Yan Lin. The Oracle sensed the danger, but she didn't have the time to shield herself. Will's blade flashed in a dangerous arc towards the Oracle's heart.

There was a huge outcry and a shower ok sparks sprang form Will's blade, blocked and deviated by Himerish's prompt intervention who had been able to put himself between her and Yan Lin.

The Oracle was immediately wrapped in a powerful barrier and recoiled. Will swore to herself, she had failed the first strike and now the surprise element was gone. She stared at the warrior in front of her with anger and determination: that was the last time he prevented her from completing her tasks.

She pushed forward her blade and freed it; both the fighters took distance and started do silently look at each other; slowly walking in circle and ready to fight.

She had been close, very close. If Himerish hadn't move fat enough Yan Lin would have died, Kandrakar would have fallen and Rifel wuold have likely won the battle.

Yan Lin clenched her fists and reinforced the barrior that cirled her, she focused and looked at the mysterious hooded figure who had tried to kill her.

She was little and thin. At first sight she didn't look very strong, yet she had blocked Himerish's attack with her sword. She was moving slowly, like a wolf that is looking for a prey. In that case, _she _was the prey. But she would have had to overcome Himerish, the former Oracle was determined to stop the unknown figure by all means and once and for all:

"Who are you?" the warrior asked his enemy. But he received no answer.

"You'll show your face, wheter you like it or not." Himerish continued, "And this time we will finish what we started."

The hooded nodded. Only one time. It was enough. The two fighters hurled against each other at the same time and started their deadly dance in front of the Oracle and of the whole Council.

The blades crossed without stopping. Himerish was a Basiliade Supreme Warrior, skilled in the Way of the Sword and in all the other Way of Fighting, not mentioning the enourmous experience he had as a Fortress' former Oracle. Yet the opponent in front of him was able to resist him. Himerish wandered where Rifel could have found such an ally. The mysterious hooded figure radiated an indisputable aura of power, How had she been able to hide from the Fortress' eye for so long? Himerish resolved that before having his revenge, he would have had answers.

He doubled his attack's strenght and his opponent was overwhelmed by his power. Himerish took advantage of that to thrust his blade in her shoulder. The hooded recoiled, but in doing that she slightly lost her balance.

Himerish was waiting for that. He shifted his sword in his other hand and summoned a strong wind whish threw away his enemy and crashed her against the wall. The hooded hit the white marble without a moan and fell on the floor. She quickly stood up, but in doing so she lost her hood.

* * *

Will tried to stand up immediately. Himerish's surprise shot had taken away her breath and cracked at least two ribs, but that wasn't the time for sleeping. She was so close, so close to get rid of Kandrakar once and for all! If she had managed to go all the way she would have been able to cut off her last bond, the strongest, the one which still anchored her to her old life. She didn't want anymore to be Will Vandom, that girl had to disappear forever.

As she rose on her feet the hood slipped away from her. _'Who cares,'_ she bitterly thought, _'it doesn't matter anymore.'_

She saw Himerish staring at her in desbelief and felt Yan Lin wincing somewhere in the Hall.

"Will?" Himerish whispered incredulous. For an instant the grip on his blade weakened imperceptibly. But Will saw it.

She snapped quickly: "Yes" she whispered back, as she managed to win the warrior's guard and to stab him in his side, "It's me." Red blood spurted on the hilt, on her hands and on her cheek.

Himerish groaned. Ignoring the excruciating pain that numbed his mind he looked at the girl in front of him: "Why?" he managed to ask her, "why you did this?"

Will knew what he intended. Why she had given up. Why she had betryed. Why she hadn't hesitate in abandoning her family and her old life. But she didn't care of his questions, he wasn't here when they had condamned her. He could not _understand_ how much she had suffered.

"No reason." She replied shortly, trying to extract the sword from him. But Himerish, unexpectedly, grabbed the blade with his left hand and held it tightly preventing the girl from escaping:

"You lost, Will." He said to her looking into her eyes, "Give up!"

Will didn't lost time and started to summon a series of electric charges that from her body hit Himerish along with her. It wounded both of them, but she at least achieved the desired result: Himerish loosened his grip and she freed herself. She took distance with a jump slightly panting.

Despite if the wound himerish was holding steady in his legs and was grabbing the sword with renewed strenght. Will knew thet now he wouldn't have halted in front of nothing to stop her: she had lost the battle since the hood had slipped away from her face.

But she didn't want to come back. She didn't want to lose or give up, and having to look again in the eyes of those had accused her before.

No. She would have fought until the end to exterminate those who had made her suffer, those who had betryed her without trying to trust her even once. The would have died and she would have survived, this Rifel had taught her: the strongest is the only one to survive in the end.

She gathered all her streanght for a last, desperate, act: she threw herself toward Yan Lin, her hands full of deadly reddish energy.

Everything happened fast. Will threw herself with all her strenght against the Oracle's barrier, shattering it, the jump's power made her fall and Will towered on the defenceless old lady. The girl rose her hand, ready to hit her; but before the strike her eyes met the Oracle's.

Yan Lin saw flashing for an instant beyond the fury a flash of hesitation and indecision. This was enough to slow Will. This was enough to save the Oracle's life.

Himerish rushed against Will and hurled her away from Yan Lin, being able to trap her in his arms. He felt the girl groaning for the first time and clenched his teeth when she began to summon again her electric charges to free herself.

"Stop it now, Will!" Himerish shouted, "Surrender!"

"I'd rather die, Himerish!" She replied increasing her power. The warrior felt her bones cracking under him and immediately took a decision. Without loosening his grip he kept on immobilizing her with a hand and with the other he managed to reach her neck. He started to put pressure on specific points to immobiliza her.

Will felt that she was losing her body's control. The destructive power decreased and disappeared while her body relaxed against her will. She tried to resist the torpor, but it was useless. Her strenght left her and a feeling of relaxation spreaded in her body, her sight began to go fuzzy and inaccurate. The last thing she felt before losing her consciousness was something that Himerish put on her wrists.

'_Chains... __Now... it's over now…'_ While she lost her consciousness a heavy emptiness wrapped her: now everything would be finished in a way or another, they would have judged her and imprisoned her for what she had done. And she would have remained in the darkness, alone. Finally alone.

* * *

Himerish felt that Will had stopped moving and let her go. He stared at the fainted girls incredulous and holding his wounded side. Yan Lin appriached them and assisted Himerish healing his wound. Then she turned too towards Will.

"She's really her? It's not a trick?" she asked. She was about to control, but Himerish interrupted her:

"No. It's her. I can feel it." The warrior answered. Now everything was clear and Himerish explained Rifel's triumphant expression during their last fight.

He looked at her. Will was thinner from the last tome he had seen her and she looked also more fragile. Now that she was consciousless he wasn't sensing that dark hatred aura that circled her before.

"What should I do, Yan Lin?" he asked. The Oracle was still shocked by the revelation, but she recovered:

"Take her... take her in the Tower of the Mists. Lock her into a cell. We will deal with her after the storm." She ordered with trembling voice.

Himerish scooped the fainted girl up and the chains on her wrists tinkled. Will didn't make a sound and didn't momve. Himerish felt Will's blood dripping on his tunic from the wound on her shoulder and sighed. Once arrived in the cell he would have healed her wound, at least the physical. And he would have asked for answers.

"The war is not over yet." He said as che went out, "Rifel is still alive."

"Yes," Yan Lin answered, "We must have faith in the girls now."

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Sorry for the longer wait, but I'm going to have an exam soon, so I MUST study. I don't wanna fail.

**I'm so glad that now Will har revealed herself. Now I don't have to call her 'the hooded figure', or 'the mysterious one' anymore. I like to call people with their names xD.**

**Uhm guys, take this chapter and the one that will follow this as chapters connection between the first part of the fiction and the second that's about to begin. Yes, I managed to arrive at the half of my story yay!**

**Ah, yes, I wanted to say a thing about what Rifel said to Will about freeing her if she succeds: It's obviously a lie, he has no intention to let her go ;). And he has no intention to share power with his army. He is a selfish man.**

**So see you in number 14: **_**The War is Over.**_

**And Happy New Year to everyone!**


	14. The war is over

**I don't own W.I.T.C.H., it's from Disney**

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14. The War is Over

"Irma, watch out!"

"I saw that, thank you." The Water Guardian directed a high-pressure water jet towards an iron armor which had the bad idea to attack her from behind and cut it in two. The monster fell on the ground with a deafening noise, magicless, like a broken toy.

"These iron guys never end, damn it!" Irma coursed as she joined Hay Lin. It was her that had warned Irma of the monster, since she could fly higher then the others and had a more complete vision of the battefield.

"This is horrible..." Hay Lin said. "People shouldn't kill each other."

"Be strong, Hay-Hey" Taranee said, who had seen her friends standing still among the wreckage and had joined them. "We're fighting to defend, not to destroy. If we win, peace will return."

"You're right." Irma growled between her teeth as she aimed for another armor. "Let's destroy these iron-scraps: they're everywhere, they hurt, and above all, they're not alive!" A sudden fire blaze hit the closest iron armor and instantly fused it, sign that the Fire Guardian fully shared her friend's point of view.

The girls headed for another armor, but an energy blast made them stop. They turned and saw that not far away from them were standing two mages, one with dark hair and the other with blonde hair, both flanked by two armors.

"We meet again, midgets." The blonde said. "What a surprise seeing you here!"

"You two again?" Cornelia exclaimed. "Do I have to remind you how it ended up the last time you challenged us?"

"Babe, that was a game. You know, testing abilities and other stuff. Today we're serious." The other mage said, telling the armor to attack. The iron giant headed for the Guardians, but the girls weren't afraid. Taranee fused the armor's feet with her fire and it fell with a crash. Then Irma watered it with her power and made it rust.

"No more tricks?" Taranee asked. "I'm afraid that this is going to be a very short visit!"

"Okay little brat, you're done with your insolence!" the dark-haired exclaimed and threw her two energy globes. Taranee dodged them and attacked back, but her fire was stopped by a magical barrier erected by the blonde mage.

"Oh no, this time that's not gonna work!" Irma said. "She began to bomb relentlessy the barrier until it crashed. As soon as the magic finished Hay Lin lifted the two men in air and started to twirl them violently.

The two mages were tossed in the air until they surrendered completely. Cornelia tied them, and then she approached them with a grin:

"I've told you. Don't play with those who are stronger than you!"

"What do we do with them?" Hay Lin asked. "If we leave them here they may escape."

"Let's bring them to Kandrakar, then." Irma said. "At least in Kandrakar they'll keep an eye on them."

Irma and Hay Lin started to walk with the two men that were keeping to struggling.

"Stay still, you two, or we are gonna turn you in two ice lollies." The Water Guardian threatened them.

"Even if you have defeated us, Lord Rifel is invincible. He is going to kill you, one after onther, and then he will arrive at your families. It'll be over for you and we'll be there to laugh." The dark-haired grinned.

Irma and Hay Lin clenched their teeth and froze them. They couldn't endure other malice. The war was bad enough without thinking about what might happen next.

* * *

Not far away from them Endarno was fighting against Rifel. Nobody could approach the two opponents, they were too dangerous.  
Rifel was skilled in the art of combat as much as the art of magic. And he knew well how to combine the two styles. He infused his sword with power and lunged at the warrior.  
Endarno blocked his attacks. He didn't know Rifel, he'd never met him before. He had noticed immediately that the Mage was strong and skilled, and even vicious. A dangerous opponent.

"Surrender." The Mage hissed, "surrender, and I'll kill you here and now. Otherwise you will suffer in any way I know and, believe me, I know many." He said with an evil grin.

"You are not going to win." Endarno replied dryly. Rifel could fight him as an equal and it was hard to predict who would have won.

The warrior attacked, but Rifel took advantage of his large robe to hide his sword's movements and to confound his opponent: he managed to wound Endarno who recoiled, panting.

"I'm not done with you, don't go away." Rifel snarled, pressing him.

Endarno was in difficulty. Rifel had enchanted his sword so that every wound that was done, even if superficial, bled profusely. He felt that his blood was leaving him quickly, weakening him. Endarno whas covered with small wounds that normally he wouldn' t even felt, but because of the sword's dark magic they couldn't stop bleeding. Suddenly his vision became blurry for an instant and Endarno lost his balance. He fell back and tried to stand up immediately, but Rifel was faster and attacked him. He went on him and placed his sword vertically, just above his heart, ready to stab him.

"Farewell, warrior." The Mage said with a flask of his yellow eyes.

"No," Endarno whispered, "it's not over yet!" with his last strenghts he summoned a strong light and shot it right in Rifel's eyes. The mage let the sword go and cried with pain:

"DAMN YOU! MY EYES!" he shouted.

Endarno got up and rose his sword. With a cry he headed for his opponent's face and slashed him. The Mage fell on his knees.

Endarno was ready to hit. It was done, he had won. But just when he was about to strike, Rifel circled himself with a violaceous halo and a dark energy coloumn sprang from him, sending Endarno away from him.

"No more games now." Rifel said darkly. He wasn't smiling anymore, he had his face covered with blood that was dripping from the wound on his face. His yellow eyes were shining with dark power. "You" the man snarled waving his sword. An energy slash ripped the air, "Now you will die!" he exclaimed.

The warrior stiffened. He had no more strenghts, he had lost too much blood. But he wasn't afraid. He stood straight and pointed his sword towards Rifel: he would have fought until the end, and he would have died with the sword in his hand and not with his back towards his opponent, like a coward who runs away. This was his time.

Rifel cried, ready to strike, but suddenly a fire ball fully hit him, throwing him away from Endarno.

"Not so fast, Boogeyman!" Taranee commented summoning another fire ball.

"The reinforcements are here!" Cornelia exclaimed as she rescued Endarno.

"W-where are the other Guardians?" Endarno asked, coughing. The Earth Guardian helped him to get up:

"They're coming. They'll be here soon."

"Children shouldn't interrupt a conversation between adults." Rifel snarled as he rose up. Taranee's attack had barely scratched him. The Fire Guardian smiled at him defiantly:

"C'mon, Mage. I hope you'll be a little more than your servants!"

Rifel shook his head and laughed wickedly. That laugh was so cold that for an instant Taranee was taken aback. And that moment of inattention costed her dear:

Rifel teleported next to her and grabbed her face with one of his white hands. He violently threw Taranee on the ground and she remained there, panting.

"I'm good enough for you, little Guardian?" he asked her. He walked toward her, he put his foot on her head and began to press. Taranne started to cry.

"I take this as a yes." The Mage said, but he soon ceased to attack Taranee because Cornelia hadn't taken well the fact that Rifel was trying to kill her friend. The blonde tried to hit the Mage with her powers and Rifel took distance. Cornelia rescued her friend and help her to get up.

"He's too fast." Taranee coughed, "t-too strong."

"We can beat him together!" Cornelia exclaimed, "Come on, Kandrakar is counting on us!"

"Pathetic." The Mage commented, "Two girls against me. I take this as an insult. It almost seems that Kandrakar doesn't consider me enough."

"But while he was talking something unexpected happened. Something grabbed him from behind and held him tightly.

"What...!" Rifel exclaimed.

"I'm holding him, girls!" Hay Lin exclaimed, as she used all her strenght to keep the Mage still. Irma and Hay Lin were back.

"Great, but what now?" Irma asked as she joined Taranee and Cornelia.

"Hit him!" The Air Guardian shouted.

"Are you mad?" Cornelia said. "If we hit him…"

"…We'll hit you too!" Taranee completed. But Hay Lin shook her head, in tears. Rifel was too strong, soon he would have been released. It was their only chance:

"It doesn't matter!" she exclaimed bravely, "I'm sick of this war! It's because of him if today lots of people are suffering and dying! And if we stop him we will also stop this useless war! I..." she sobbed. She was afraid, but she was determined, "I don't want anybody to suffer!"

"Hay Lin!" the girls cried.

"HIT HIM!"

A red, green and blue ray fully hit Rifel and Hay Lin. The energy's impact crushed Hay Lin's little body, who was thrown violently on the ground a few metres away from Rifel.

* * *

There was a big silence, this was thinking Hay Lin. The blow had hurt a lot, but now she felt almost nothing. She felt herself light and weightless as her Element. She could feel the battlefield's vibrations pass to her body and prayed that everything would be ended soon. She hoped with all her heart that her grandmother was okay. She would have missed her.

She turned her head with effort. The Mage was lying beside her. He was seriously injured too. It was over, they had won.

Rifel looked at the girl next to him and tried to speak: "So much… courage... foolish girl... and for Kandrakar... useless..." Despite her wound, Hay Lin felt compelled to reply:

"No..." the words were hard to prononce, but it was important that the Mage saw her point: "if it's going to end... if the war is going to end now... and the people will cease to kill each other... then I'm glad I did this."

Rifel, despite everything, managed to grin: "How much haste to sacrifice your life here..." he whispered, "but you haven't had the will to believe your friend Will when she needed it..."

Hay Lin's heart started to run faster: "How... how do you know..." she asked, but she couldn't finish the phrase. Her words died on her lips and Hay Lin closed her eyes, passing out."

The Mage looked at her scornfully for a last time: "Foolish girl..." those were his last words before falling in the darkness.

"HAY LIN!"

The girls were near her friend in an istant. Endarno approached Rifel with difficulty and petrified him with a spell.

"Hay Lin... Hay-Hey... please, answer me…" Irma sobbed, "Wake up!"

Cornelia brushed the Air Guardian's pale cheek. Silent tears began to ply her face as she looked at her.

"She's cold..." she whispered.

"NO!" Taranee suddenly cried throwing herself on her friend's body, "It can't be true! There must be a way to help her, she's not dead yet! I... I can hear her heart! LET'S DO SOMETHING!"

Endarno approached them. He was pale and exhausted, but he put a han on Hay Lin's chest:

"I... I could heal her... but I lost too much blood… I don't have... enough strenght..." He started to call a weak blue light which circled Hay Lin with difficult, but without doing anything.

"I'll help you." Cornelia said firmly. He joined her hands to those of the warrior and together they started their battle against time.

"It's not enough..." Endarno whispered, "Guardian, we're losing her..."

"No!" Cornelia cried hoarsely, "no..."

Suddenly other hands joined theirs. Taranee put her hands on Endarno's and Irma put hers on Cornelia's hands:

"Use our energy. We can do it together. We must have faith." They said.

The magic aura became stronger and Hay Lin's wounds started to slowly heal. Endarno and Cornelia had their faces distorted for the effort and the concentration, but they didn't dare to stop the magic for fear of losing Hay Lin.

And in the end the magic stopped. Cornelia fell on the ground, exhausted, and Endarno had to close his eyes to prevent himself from fainting. Hay Lin was among them and she was not moving.

"Did we...? Irma asked in a whisper. And then miraculously, the colour returned on the girl's face and Hay Lin opened her eyes.

"Am I still alive...?" she aked weakly.

"YES!"

The girls burst into tears of happiness. They'd done it, they had defeated the Mage and Hay Lin was safe! The war was won.

Allt the armors that were fighting on the battlefield had stopped moving when Rifel had lost his consciousness, they had fell into pieces and returned to be useless scraps. Kandrakar's army exulted and hurled against the enemy with renewed strenght. The others, without a captain and without magic armors, were quickly defeated and surrendered.

Kandrakar had won.

Taranee looked at the batteffiel with wandering eyes and said: "Girls, let's go back to Kandrakar. Here it's over."

"Yes. Go back to Kandrakar." Endarno agreed. He hadn't seen around Rifel's apprentice. He had a bad feeling.

* * *

The girls went back to the Fortress. Hay Lin Immediately hugged Yan Lin:

"Grandma! It's over!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, Hay Lin, It's over." She answered. But something in the Oracle's voice made the others frown.

"What happened?" Taranee asked. "Where's Himerish?"

"Himerish defeated his enemy." Yan Lin answered, lowering her gaze, "Now she's bringing her in the Tower of the Mists."

"Endarno is there too," Cornelia said, "he's bringing the mage in a cell. So even that blasted masked warrior had been caught? Ah, it's great!" she exclaimed.

"Wait to be happy, Cornelia." Yan Lin told her.

"Grandma please, tell us what happened. You don't look happy even if we won the war!" Hay Lin said.

"Yes... girls… I have to tell you a really important thing…"

Yan Lin told them the real identity of the masked girl. And a heavy silence fell all over the room.

"It's a joke." Irma said breaking the silence.

"It's a hoax." Taranee said angrily.

"It can't be her. It can't be HER!" Cornelia shouted, her fists clenched. She fell on her knees and started to cry.

"But it's true… right grandma?" Hay Lin whispered as she approached Cornelia to comfort her.

The Oracle nodded sadly.

"It's her. She wasn't abducted from the mages… she joined them. And she helped them to arrive here." Yan Lin tried to give a firm tone to her voice: "But now she's here and we can try to understand why she did it."

"She was gone... and we were looking for her..." Cornelia hissed in tears, "and she tried to kill Elyon and Caleb! And maybe she would have even succeded if I hadn't healed them!"

"Calm down, Cornelia..." Taranee tried to say, but the blonde wasn't listening to her:

"She betrayed us! He fought against us! She… she deserves everything of this!" she exclaimed angrily. The room's floor slightly trembled.

"Now stop!" Irma suddenly shouted. She was crying too, but her angry tone was not directed towards Will, but against Cornelia. Her friend was so surprised that she stopped talking.

"That's right!" the Water Guardian kept on saying, "she betrayed us, she fought against us, she did a lot of terribile things! But are you forgetting why she went away? Because we turned against her! We abandoned her when she needed help and now you have the courage to judge her? I think that this time she deserves _at least_ that we pay attention to her." She finished, staring defiantly at the blonde girl. Cornelia didn't say anything, but she lowered her gaze.

"I think Irma's right, Cornelia." Hay Lin slowly said. "When we were at Will's home I... I felt her sadness, it was endless. It was like having a cold shower. I can't see her as an enemy. Do you really think that is only Will's fault if she acted in this way?"

"Will betrayed us..." Taranee continued, "she attacked me. But if I'd gone through what she experienced, I think that I would have been angry too, I' d be angry with those who once called themselves 'friends'. She's wrong, but we are wrong as well."

Cornelia sniffed, all the eyes were pointed on her. In the end she shook her head:

"No... I don't think it's only her fault." She said in a low tone.

"It's right, girls." Yan Lin said, "After all, when Elyon at first believed Cedric's lies, she betrayed you as well and tried to hurt you. But then she realised her mistake, thanks to you, because you didn't give up on her. This is the time to stand close to her, this is when she needs it the most."

"I agree." Taranee nodded. Cornelia got up and wiped her eyes:

"Me too." She said. Irma patted on her shouldes and tried to make her smile:

"C'mon, we all know that in the deep... deep... deep... deep... de..."

"Irma."

"...you are very generous. Seriously Cornelia, we all know that you care for Will. Your reaction was normal. We didn't expect Will to be that warrior. Maybe if it hadn't been you someone else would have been mad for that."

"Thank you Irma. I appreciate the effort." Cornelia replied with a little grin.

"Anytime."

* * *

Will regained her consciousness slowly. She didn't rimember at first where she was. All around her was white. She tried to move, but she failed. She remembered only in a second moment what had happened and she immediately realized that Himerish was bringing her in the Tower of the Mists, Kandrakar's prison.

"You're awake." Himerish said in a neutral tone.

No answer came from Will. The warrior entered the Tower together with the girl and walked up to seemingly normal-looking cell.

But when Himerish went inside, in the small room instantly fell the deepest darkness.

Yes, because the Tower's cells reflect their occupants' guilt. And Will, who had fall into the dark, was doomed to pass her imprisonment in the deepest darkness.

At that sight Himerish sighed and shook his head, saddened. He summoned a pale light globe and leaned Will on the cell's bed. He removed the spell that mantained her motionless and looked at her. The girl didn't return his gaze, she was sitting completely still on the hard matress without saying a word.

She had wounds and bruises on her arms, so Himerish approached her, determined to heal the wounds.

"Don't touch me." Will warned him in a low and menacing tone, while her body stiffened for the tension. Her tone was hard and cold as ice.

The former Oracle ignored her and began to heal her wounds. And once he finished he said:

"Look at me, Will."

Will didn't move.

"Did Rifel teach you cowardice, as well as the Sword Art, Will?"

Will turned towards him. Her eyes were burning with hatred: "Go away. I have nothing to tell tou." She said.

"Why did you do this? Why did you run away?" the warrior asked her. For an instant he saw in the girl's eyes the shadow of the pain and sadness that Hay Lin had felt long ago at her home. And then nothing more, her rage returned to dominate her eyes.

"I have nothing to say. Leave me alone..." she repeated. The door's cell suddenly opened and both Will and Himerish turned to look at the newcomer.

Endarno approache Himerish without being able to move away his eyes from the girl in front of him.

He narrowed his eyes withoud a word when she turned away from him.

"Himerish," Endarno said in a neutral tone, "Rifel is defeated. Kandrakar has won. I brought him in a cell of the Tower where he will wait for the judgment...together with his apprentice." He concluded, and his voice cracked for the first time.

At those words Will turned towards him and grimaced bitterly:

"Surprised, Endarno?" she asked. "Apparently, you were right. We've actually met again, and my conditions aren't surely…" she moved her hands and the chains tinkled, "_favorable_ to me."

The warrior clenched his fists, but then he calmed down: "A fair judgment awaits you, girl. Whatever you did, you'll get what you deserve. Nobody is going to punish you now."

Will shook her head, upset: "And the reason why I haven't tried to kill you yet would be...? she asked.

"Because the spell on this room prevents every attack coming from a prisoner." Himerish answered looking at her intensely.

"I should have imagined it."

The two warriors glanced at each other. Will was cold, angry, full of hatred. She was hurt, that was evident. But that which couldn't be erased was what she had done. She had tried to kill those who once had been her friends, she had tried to destroy Kandrakar. She couldn't avoid a Trial.

"Will, you are going to be judged for what you did." The former Oracle said.

"And who gives a damn?" it was the answer.

"Show respect, you little insolent, or..." Endarno started, but Will shook her head, apparently amused:

"Or what?" she asked bitterly.

The two warrior didn't say anything. Will had lost everything, she was in a cell invaded by darkness and soon she would have been judged. Rage and threats were useless. They moved away from her and went out from the room. When they got out the light faded, leaving Will alone in the dark. The girl lay in the bed, listening at her own breath.

She couldn't see anything, it was almost comforting. She could imagine to be only a shadow, a nobody's dream, without feeling, without pain. And it was with that last thought that the sleep took her again for the first time in a long time.

**

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107 reviews. Oh my. Thank you. I am speechless and I love you all who are reading my story, revieving it and reading-reviewing it.

**New chapter! Last time in the review****s you told me about some grammar and spelling mistakes. I'm glad you made me notice that, so now I'm looking for a beta. Who wanna be my beta? Please? I'll send you the english version and you will provide to help me to erase the errors.**

**I'm not gonna update without a beta, sorry. Obviously, if I don't find one, I'll update in any case with the errors. **

**Next one: **_**The Kandhran.**_** (the Kandhran is a mighty Trial xD)**


	15. The Kandhran

**I do no town W.I.T.C.H.**

**Chapter beta-ed by XV-Dragon.**

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15. The Kandhran

"So what do we do now?" Irma asked. "What will become of Will? Is she going to stay in that prison forever?"

Yan Lin shook her head. The old lady had been silent until that time: "No. I thought deeply about this, girls. Rifel is guilty, but Will... her sins are confused. Clouded by actions that were not her fault. I didn't listen to her in the first time, and acting like this I condemned her in some way to this fate. I'm not worthy to lead the process."

"And then?" Cornelia asked.

"Then I decided that together with the Council, we will summon the Kandhran, the ultimate Trial. The Kandhran's judgment is fair and irrevocable. It's Truth because it is led by the most powerful beings of all the Universes, the Elements. It will be one of them who are going to lead the process and to take the right decision, in order to avoid other errors."

Yan Lin paused to wait for the question which, inevitably, came: "So this Kandhran... why didn't you summon it in the very first time? Will wouldn't have been condemned and none of us would be in this awful situation now!" an enraged Taranee exclaimed.

"Taranee's right. All of this is simply nonsense." Irma shook her head. But Yan Lin interrupted their rage.

"You are right, but the Kandhran is different, it can't be always summoned. The Sages can try to open a passage between our world and the Elements' one, but sometimes we can fail. Only when the Gate that divides us is willing to open it is possible to ask the Elements to attend to the process. The Kandhran is something really powerful and definitive, girls. Who is declared guilty... can never go back. And months ago I was so sure... so clouded... about Will's fault that I wanted to judge her by myself, choosing to only revoke her powers. But now things are different. I no longer feel able to express a fair sentence about her, so I'm going to try to summon an Element."

"But then..." Hay Lin started; "If Will were to be found guilty..." she didn't finish her phrase.

"The Kandhran decrees only the truth. "The Oracle said, "And if that will be the verdict, then it means that there's no hope for Will. Now go. We will call you at the right time. When everything will be ready."

"We want to see Will." Cornelia said. The others nodded, but the Oracle shook her head.

"No, girls, this is not possible, I'm sorry." She told them.

"But why?"

"At the moment, she is not ready." The old woman simply said. At that answer, the girls fell silent and nodded reluctantly. They would have waited. They would have talked to her, no matter what. They would have made her that they would have stayed on her side, no matter what was going to happen.

* * *

Kandrakar's Sages were sitting in circle. They were so still that they could look like wax figures. The Oracle Yan Lin entered the room walking slowly. She was wearing on her shoulders, a scarlet silk drape. The old lady went in the middle of the circle and sat. She closed her eyes and slowly opened her hands; she then waved them to form a half- circle of light and magic in the air.

"We are ready." She said in a low tone, but her voice sounded as clear as a bell.

"Let's begin with the Summoning."

An indistinct murmur rose from the Sages, light as the wind, and then more and more strong up to become a real song. The glowing half-circle created by Yan Lin started to float and grew bigger in front of the Oracle. The more the song raised its tone, the more the light became stronger. When the song reached its peak Yan Lin began to speak:

"With the authority the Elements have given me I, Yan Lin, Oracle of Kandrakar, demand the presence of the Elements themselves in the ultimate judgement of the Kandhran, so that our decisions can be perfect and truthful. Please, listen to our prayer; I summon the Kandhran in the hope of a perfect judgment!"

The song stopped and the murmur started again. Yan Lin had her eyes fixed on the light half-moon, which had become a portal. If her request had been accepted, from that portal an Element would have come.

The portal suddenly increased its light, so that Yan Lin had to move away her gaze. The Sages' murmur stopped and the whole Council looked at the mystical portal that was slowly opening.

* * *

Will lay in her cell in complete darkness and waited. She didn't know for how long she was in that Tower; time lost its meaning in that place. And moreover, her cell was wrapped in a thick and impenetrable darkness, so Will had the perpetual feeling of being soaked in nothing.

But she didn't dislike that. There was a great silence; she liked to stay motionless for hours to listen to the only noises in the cell: her breath and her heartbeat. And when she grew tired of that activity then she began to recall her last moments of freedom, when she had been caught by Himerish and had been taken in the Tower:

Looking into Himerish and Endarno's eyes had been almost unbearable to her. She felt ashamed for having been caught, and rage against herself because she allowed such a weak feeling to control her.

But behind all those negative feelings it was also a dull pain which was pulsing at her heart's rhythm, but she couldn't explain why. Kandrakar was nothing, _nothing_, to her, but then why all this pain?

The two warriors had spoken of a judgment. Very well. She would have faced it, it wasn't so important now. She had willingly chosen to betray her life, and now she would have paid the consequences. It seemed right to her.

A sound different from her breath and heartbeat took her away from her thoughts: her cell's room was opening. Someone was there. Will rose her gaze and felt the suddenly impulse to cover her eyes with her hands because of the strong light. But she didn't do nothing and let that her eyes ached and watered while she slowly became accustomed to see again.

Two Kandrakar's guards had come for her. One of the two was an old man with a white beard; the other was a young woman with white waist-long hair. The woman spoke to Will.

"Wilhelmina Vandom, former Fortress Guardian and now accused of betrayal, you must follow us out of the Tower of the Mists, where you will brought before the Kandhran, the ultimate judgment. You will be judged for your actions and you will receive a fair verdict."

So it was the trial's day. Will stood up and went toward the two guards, who put on her chains and began to escort her silently. Will could feel their inquisitive gazes on her, but she didn't care. They were probably thinking that she was like Nerissa and that they had been lucky to stop her in time, before she could have killed one of the other Guardians as Nerissa had done in the past.

Will kept impassive her face and kept on walking toward Kandrakar. The Kandhran impended over her like a vague feeling; she realized with surprise that she was feeling fear. Fear for her future and for what would happen.

That was ridiculous. She died when they had taken everything away from her, why was she still feeling something? And it was with that question in her mind that entered Kandrakar and was led in the Kandhran's Hall.

* * *

"Whoa, where were they keeping this place? It's huge!" Irma whispered. "It doesn't look so big from the outside! Cool!"

"Irma" Cornelia hissed. "This is no time for jokes."

The Water Guardian returned serious: "Sorry. You're right."

They were seated in a kind of high tribune. Under them stood Kandrakar's Sages with their white robes, next to them were seated the rulers of the worlds that Kandrakar was protecting. Elyon, Caleb, Orube, Endarno were there too. They were all waiting for the Kandhran to begin.

"Girls..." Hay Lin whispered, "I don't know if I can watch as Will is condemned. I don't think I can bear that." She lowered her head with tears in her eyes.

"I know what you mean," Taranee said, "It's like a nightmare..."

Hay Lin burst into tears: "It's not fair! It was our fault first, we didn't believe her and we rejected her, that's why that bastard took her to make her doing everything Rifel wanted! And now she is condemned... like Nerissa..."

A strong hand brushed her shoulder: Himerish smiled at her, dried her tears and spoke to the girls,

"The Kandhran is a fair judgement. Will is going to receive only what she deserves, you will see that. Have faith and don't feel guilty, soon everything will be for the better."

"How can you say this?" Irma asked putting her arm around Hay Lin's shoulders and looking at the warrior with a doubtful expression.

"You'll see it." It was his answer. "Soon you'll understand what I mean. Look. It's about to begin."

Yan Lin then entered the Hall. She was wearing a white robe, so white to look almost shining. Her expression was hard and resolute, detached. She went toward another door, closed, and said with strong voice, "Let those who must be judged come."

From the other side of the room, from the main door, Rifel and Will entered.

Rifel walked slowly, without apparent fear and with a shadow of disgust toward those who were looking at him. Her face was now scarred by a long scar which travelled from his right ear to his left eye, a reminder of the fight with Endarno. When he reached the center of the Hall he stopped and waited silently.

Will, on the contrary, always had that mask of indifference that had accompanied her until that time. She was looking in front of her, but she seemed to stare at something very far away. She didn't look at her old master. The Guardians held each other's hands tightly, hoping and praying with all their hearts that her friend was saved from her sentence. For that moment they couldn't do anything but hope and wait in silence.

Will and Rifel were now facing the Oracle Yan Lin, who started to speak with sharp voice:

"Rifel, Lord of the Black Mages and Wilhelmina Vandom the former Kandrakar's former Guardian and Heart Keeper of the Heart, you are both accused of the following crimes: you tried to destroy the Fortress and to threaten the entire Universe's balance, which it's guarded by the Oracle since the very beginning. You are accused of having stolen the Red Orb and the Blue Orb, and to have tried to steal the Yellow Orb. You are accused of wounding, deceiving, and killing to achieve your goal, without any respect for the life or the freedom of other beings. Rifel, Lord of Black Mages, how do you call yourself?" the Oracle asked Rifel.

The Mage smiled, moved his dark hair from his face, and then spoke dryly, "Not guilty."

His answer was welcomed with cries of indignation from the Universe's rulers. Caleb stood up and was held in place by Elyon. With his voice shaked by indignation and rage, the young warrior voiced everyone's anger.

"How dare you to declare yourself 'not guilty'? After the destruction you caused you have the nerve to pronounce those words?" Caleb sat again next the Light of Meridian, shaking with rage. But Rifel had remained still after Caleb's words. On the contrary, he was looking at the boy with an amused smile on his lips. The girls too had some difficulty to keep their mouths closed.

"That guy's not worthy even to be called 'man'." Cornelia said as she clenched her fists so strong to dig her nails in her flesh. "Coward."

"Who knows, the Kandhran can claim Rifel innocent after that question." Himerish said.

"Why?" Taranee asked.

"Because the Trial always gives a chance of redemption." It was the answer.

"But Rifel is not innocent!" Irma exclaimed. "I'm warning you, if he's declared innocent I'm not going to accept that, understood? I'm going to drown him with my hands."

"Have faith" the Basilidian warrior repeated, "and don't allow the rage to cloud your heart."

Yan Lin waited for a moment and when finally the silence was back, the old lady spoke to Will "Will, how do you call yourself?" she asked.

They all waited for the girl's response. But Will remained silent, she didn't say anything. She only stared at Yan Lin.

The Oracle then repeated the question, but Will kept on being silent. Yan Lin then nodded and went on with the process.

"Now you will both be judged for your actions. You will receive a fair judgement, something proportionate to what is in your soul. But it won't be me to continue the Trial. From this point I, Oracle of Kandrakar, step aside to allow Truth to preside this process. Please, enter, Lord Elyos."

Yan Lin paused, and suddenly the big door that had remained closed until that time began to open quietly. The mighty figure of the Energy Element, Lord Elyos, slowly entered the Hall.

He was tall the Element, very tall. He had the appearance of a man of indefinite age, not young, not old. His skin shone with soft light, his face was serious and had sharp features. His grey eyes were cold and incomprehensible, full of power beyond any imagination and they were circled by a fine web of wrinkles. His long black hair was streaked with silver and was collected in a long ponytail that reached his waist. He was wearing a dark red robe cinched at the waist by a black sash embroidered with gold arabesques.

The Element radiated an aura of power and wisdom. When he entered the room all the Council fell silent and stared at him. He advanced and stopped near Yan Lin, who bowed respectfully.

"Lord Elyos." She said. "You are the Judge now."

The Element nodded. He turned toward Rifel and Will and started to speak. His voice was deep and strong like the rumble of thunder.

When the Element had enter Will's heart had begun to beat furiously. Why? The girls realized that she was terrified of that being that radiated a power and energy so similar to hers..

His name was Lord Elyos, and he was there to judge her and Rifel. It didn't make sense to be scared at that point, Will thought. But when the Element started to speak Will had to force herself not to back away when she heard the power in his voice.

"_You, guilty of menacing the Universes' balance, are you ready to accept the Final Judgement? The Kandhran will give you a choice between salvation or condemnation, life or death. __Let's begin with the Final Act, the Eternal Flames of the Kandhran will rise and judge your actions." _

As soon as he stopped talking, something incredible happened. The Hall's floor deeply cracked and the openings began to erupt with red and white flames. In seconds Will, Rifel and Lord Elyos were circled by a flaming ring. The flaming forest grew to become a dome which hid them at the Council's sight. Now they were alone.

The Flames were everywhere. Will saw nothing but a raging fire in every direction she turned; the Flames waved as they were alive, they reached out for them trying to catch them.

Rifel grimaced at that sight: he knew what those Flames meant; he knew how the Kandhran worked. Unfortunately what he didn't know was how to survive at them; that secret was kept by the Element and by Kandrakar's Sages. Lord Elyos started to speak again.

"_You have now the choice to save yourselves. In the name of the Elements, I tell you that there's a way to pass over the Fire unharmed. If you are able to pass through them without damage, you will be declared innocent. And since the Kandhran is a fair and true judgement, this verdict can never be contested."_

"_Rifel, Lord of the Black Mages,"_ Lord Elyos spoke directly to Rifel, _"you are a wise man, but corrupted. Call on your vast knowledge and look inside yourself for a way to overcome the Fire. Beyond the Flames there is the life, inside this circle death will wait for you."_

The Element paused. The chains that confined Rifel vanished and the Mage was free to move. The man looked thoughtfully at the flames and began to examine them. Will saw him walking slowly toward the fire, absorbed in his thoughts, and stopping not far away from them. He began to whisper between himself phrases that turned in a magical spell. The minutes passes slowly while Rifel built on himself a magical shield composed by all his knowledge. Will could almost see the shining magic wrapping his former master.

When he was finished Rifel fell silent, then he slowly turned toward Will. The two stared at each other without saying a word. Rifel was about to approach her, but an invisible strength prevented him to go further:

"_You can't approach the child."_ The Element warned him.

Rifel nodded shortly and started to speak: "Will… you helped me. We failed. These flames want our death, but there's a way to escape. I know every existing spell, and I casted them to myself. I will pass these flames and be declared innocent. And when I'll be free I will return to destroy this blasted Fortress, and I'll take revenge for your death. I'll make sure you will have the revenge you deserve."

But in his eyes there was no mercy for Will's fate. Only coldness and egoism. Will looked away from him.

Rifel didn't wait for her reply; he laughed and turned toward the fire. He took a step forward. Then Flames started to wrap him lazily, without touching him.

Rifel rejoiced within himself. His power had saved him from certain death once again. Now he only had to overcome the flaming forest. He let himself being swallowed by the fire and began to walk.

But as soon as his figure was completely trapped the flames attacked him violently like a wild beast.

The man's confidence turned into a horrible shriek of despair, terror and pain. Rifel started to wrench as the flames devoured and consumed him; he tried to run from that flaming hell, but the fire held him tightly. Rifel disappeared to sight, but his cries continued to be heard for a long time. And then, suddenly, nothing. A deadly silence.

Will stared with wide-open eyes at the point where Rifel had disappeared. In her ears, his screams were still resonating and in front of her she could still see his figure wrenching as the fired slowly consumed him. That was his fate and hers as well.

She would never have thought that it would be ended like this. Never, not once since she received the Heart of Kandrakar from Yan Lin she would have thought that she would have died in the Fortress, eaten alive by a fire.

"_Will."_

Will heard that Elyos was calling her and had to do an effort not to fall on her knees and to cover her ears. Her name seemed so... _wrong_ on the lips of such a pure being. Will couldn't stand at his presence; he was crashing her with his light. But she forced herself to stand and wait.

"_Will, you allowed hatred and darkness to wrap your heart. Look inside you for a way to overcome the Flames. If you are able to do it, you will be safe. Otherwise, it will be death." _

The girl looked at the flames. They were high and impenetrable, the looked as they were waiting for her. Will thought over all the moments she had spent with the girls and how she had felt happy and accepted. But then she began to think about the rage and the despair she had felt when they had abandoned her, accused of a crime she hadn't committed.

Elyos saw that the girl didn't move. After having waited a long time he spoke again.

"_You have a possibility, girl. Use it."_ He said.

"No." Will replied. It was the first time she talked after a long time. Elyos looked at her with piercing eyes, and then asked, _"Why?"_

"Because I deserve this. I'm not better than Nerissa." Will answered.

"_Let the Kandhran to decide that."_ The Element replied. _"Regardless of how you feel, if you overcome the fire you will be declared not guilty."_

"No." Will repeated, this time with more force. The Element scared her, his power was so huge that she could barely look at him. But she took courage and looked straight into his eyes: "For once, for only once since everything happened, I want to take a decision by myself. I am guilty, I am responsible of what I've done, and I want to assume my responsibilities. I want nobody's pardon, I didn't have it when I had been wrongly accused and less that ever I mean to beg for it now."

Elyos looked at her without speaking for a while. Then he nodded solemnly:

"_As you wish."_ He said_. "Waive your right and let the Flames reach you." _

The flames began to suddenly advance toward her. Will tried not to cry or back down, but when a flame's tip slightly touched her, Will felt like it was from hell.

It was beyond her imagination. Will had thought to be ready for the pain. It wasn't true, the pain was unbearable. The fire swallowed her as it had done with Rifel and Will was entirely wrapped by the high flames.

The burning fire pierced her everywhere; it reached every fibre of her body and spirit. Will wanted it to stop, she wanted to die, and she wished that with all her heart, she wanted that torment to finish.

But the pain seemed to increase rather than decrease. Every second it passed the pain was stronger and stronger.

She cursed herself because she had refused the possibility to avoid that punishment. If she had found a way to overcome the fire she would have been safe. Kandrakar would have forgiven her and she could have been back with the girls once again.

But then the days she had passed with Rifel came to her mind. She had killed, tortured. How many lives had she taken only because she had been ordered to? How many warriors had she killed only to show she was strong, capable of relying only to herself without trusting anybody else?

Will started to cry, but her tears evaporate for the heat. She realized that she fully deserves that fate. And the pain never would have been enough to compensate the lives she had ended.

And when she realized that the pain from the fire was added to her interior sorrow; the pain seemed to multiply; she wanted to scream, to cry.

But she thought she wasn't worthy even of that.

And then, miraculously, everything came to an end.

As it had started, the pain stopped. The flames recoiled leaving Will still alive.

When the fire left her, Will felt as someone had removed knives from her heart. The flames had left her, but the memory of the pain she had felt was still impressed in every part of her body. Her knees buckled as she fell. Everything was confused, she didn't remember exactly where she was, neither what she was doing in such a place. She only remembered the pain and the desire not to feel again such an agony.

Something stopped her fall. Will vaguely realized that someone had caught her in time to prevent her from getting hurt. Using her last strength she clung with difficulty at her saviour, fearing that if she had let him go she would have been lost forever.

"Please... don't... don't hurt me..." she whispered as her strength abandoned her. She felt that she couldn't bear other pain... she would have shattered in a thousand pieces. She had the impression of being taken by strong arms and of being leaned against something soft and warm. While she lost her consciousness she heard something like a gentle voice that seemed to soothe her.

"_Don't worry... I won't."_

* * *

The Fire had wrapped and hid everything.

"What's happening now?" Cornelia asked Himerish.

"It will be applied for the Flaming Judgement." He answered. "Who will overcome the Fire and survive will be safe."

"Those flames..." Taranee whispered staring at the fire, "They're strange. I can't feel them."

"They're Elemental Flames." Himerish said. "Only the Element of Fire can communicate with them. Lord Elyos received permission from him to control them."

A high scream suddenly pierced the air and interrupted Himerish's speech. The Council winced with fear as the painful screams of Rifel filled the Hall.

"Is... Is he burning?" Hay Lin asked, scared. "Even if what he did was horrible, how can Kandrakar allow such a thing?"

"It's not exactly what it seems." Himerish replied. "The Flames you're watching are fuelled by arrogance and malice. If the one who touches them doesn't possess a pure heart he will be consumed by them, on the contrary if the Flames felt remorse in him, they would spare him."

"Something I think doesn't exist in Rifel..." Irma said lowly.

"Exactly" the warrior agreed lowering his gaze. "It's not pleasant, but it's only you to fuel the flames that consume you. It's for this reason too that this Judgement cannot be fooled, it's definitive."

"What about Will?" Taranee asked, but suddenly the fire began to change. The flames started to move even more and to contract on themselves, as if they shrink.

The fire slowly disappeared returning to everyone's sight Lord Elyos' tall figure. The Element was standing still, mighty and impassable. He lowered his gaze on something he was holding in his arms and suddenly everyone realized that the Element was holding an unconscious, but unharmed, Will.

"She's alive!" Hay Lin cried in joy, incapable of staying silent, "She's safe!" her voice resonated clearly in the entire Hall which was still wrapped in a solemn silence. A couple of white heads turned toward their zone and Elyon elegantly hid her mouth behind a hanky to disguise a smile. Hay Lin's cheeks became deeply red.

"Whoops..." she whispered. Irma gave her a little nudge:

"Always the same, eh, Hay Hey?" she said. But she had too a happy smile on her face, and the other girls as well. Will was safe; it meant that in the deep her friend was not changed. Now it was up to them to be united once again.

Elyos went out of the room and took her in the room he had come from.

"Where did he go? Where did he take her?" Hay Lin whispered.

But Elyos has already come back, this time without Will. He went back next to Yan Lin and spoke,

"_I decree the Kandhran: Rifel, Lord of the Dark Mages was devoured by the Elemental Flames. Unable to feel remorse for his sins, he failed to overcome the Fire. But the Guardian of Kandrakar let the Fire touched her in her heart and body, accepting the punishment and proving in this way to be worthy of forgiveness. Therefore, in the name of the Elements I declare Wilhelmina Vandom, Guardian of Kandrakar, absolved from her sentence and Rifel, Lord of the Dark Mages, guilty of every sin accomplished by him. __I declare the Kandhran concluded, it will fall asleep until a new peril crosses our paths again." _

Lord Elyos paused. Yan Lin dismissed the Council and invited the Sages and the worlds' rulers to return to their occupations. But she asked the girls, Himerish, Endarno and Orube to stay. The little group waited the Hall to be empty, and then they started to go toward the Oracle and the Element.

**

* * *

**

Many thanks to XV-Dragon again who helped me with the gramma**r and spelling, He's awesome :)**

**I killed my Rifel. I am a bit sad for this, but not much. He was a bastard, he had to die xD.**

**Can you see the weak point in this chapter? I can. The girl have to wait to speak with Will, because Will is still full of hatred and rage, and seeing them before the Trial could have caused even more anger in her. But what if Will had been condemned? The girls would have never see her again, with no chance to speak to her. So what to do? O chose to do things in this way, luckily the Kandhran saved Will. Now it's up to her to live again.**

**Lord Elyos is an OC.**

**So, are you enjoying my story? I hope yes, it's fun to write it :P.**

**Next chapter: **_**A new beginning.**_


	16. A new beginning

**I do not own W.I.T.C.H., it's from Disney**

**Chapter betaed by XVDragon.**

* * *

16. A new beginning

The more the girls approached the Element, the more they felt growing inside them a feeling of deep and innate respect for him. Once they had joined Yan Lin and Lord Elyos, they greeted them with respect lowering their heads, even Irma for once didn't make any jokes.

The Element then greeted them with a gentle smile and said, _"I am truly glad to meet you, Guardians. Thank you for being here. Please, follow me in the room close to us."_

They followed the tall figure into the room he had stayed in at the beginning of the Trial. It was a quiet and not very large room. It wasn't different from the other Kandrakar's rooms. But next to a wall there was a bed, where a still unconscious Will was staying.

"Will!" Cornelia exclaimed. "Is she ok now?" she asked Lord Elyos.

"_Physically, she will be fine,"_ he answered, _"Soon her strength will be back. But what it's going to take longer are the wounds in her heart. It's more difficult to forgive yourself, than to be forgiven by others, remember that Guardians. Will is no exception, although the Kandhran showed that she regrets what she has done, she will need all the possible help from you to forgive herself and start her life again. Don't leave her, because your friend is still walking on the edge of an abyss."_

"You don't need to remind us this." Taranee said, "Will is our friend and now it's time to show it to her. If we had been unite from the beginning nothing of this would have happened... we have to be forgiven too."

Lord Elyos nodded: _"You spoke well, Fire Guardian."_ He said. In that moment Irma decided that she had overcome the awe's phase and whispered, "Nerdy as ever, aren't we...?"

Cornelia and Hay Lin's nudges suggested her that maybe it was better not to ruin the solemnity of the moment.

"_Let her rest for now." _Lord Elyos spoke again, _"You are going to speak with her again soon. Go back home and trust her and yourselves."_

The girls realised that they had to go. They didn't asked when they could see Will again, although the only thing they wished was to wake their friend up and to talk with her. Soon, the Element had said.

They decided to trust Kandrakar once again so they left. They hugged Yan Lin, saluted Himerish, Endarno and Lord Elyos. Then they went out of the room closing the door after them.

After the girls had left the Element approached the bed and asked the warriors to do the same.

Will was clearly exhausted. She seemed more fragile than normal; her breaths were shorter and irregular while she rested. Sometimes she involuntarily stirred in her slumber, as if she was dreaming and under her eyes they could see dark shadows of tiredness.

"_I do not wish her to go back to Earth for now," Lord_ Elyos said. _"She's not ready yet to return to her previous life. It will take time before she can recover from everything."_

The others nodded. Orube glanced at Will, then she asked the Element, "How did she save herself, Sir, if may I ask?"

Lord Elyos thought about the question, then he answered, _"Yes, you may. The Elemental Flames are fuelled by malice, wickedness, egoism, all dark feelings. Nothing can extinguish them. But they can be rejected and drove away, by repentance. The Flames you saw were nothing more than the eternal pain that each convict had felt at their contact, Rifel's agony and pain went to add at the grief which causes the Fire. The next time the Flames will be summoned they are going to burn with more force, thanks to him. But only a pain bigger than that could reject the Fire, the one which comes from the regret for one's own actions. Will, opening her heart and fully understanding all the pain she had caused, managed to make the fire move away from her. For this reason she's alive now."_

Will whimpered softly in her sleep as if she was on the point of waking up. Lord Elyos stretched his pale hand and leaned it on Will's forehead. The girl's breath immediately deepened and Will fell back in a deep and peaceful slumber.

The Element stared at her thoughtfully for a while, then he spoke to Himerish,_ "My friend"_ he said, _"I'd wish you'd look after her, until she is ready to return to her family."_

"What?" Himerish asked. He was perplexed. Why him? The warrior remembered the first contact he had had with the Elements when he was Oracle; he had clearly felt the wisdom that the five figured emanated as they conferred with him. Lord Elyos, the Fire Element, The Water Element, The Earth Element, the Air Element. They were all united; every decision was taken by the five of them together.

He often hadn't understood the reasons behind their requests, but over the course of time everything had always proved to be clarified and for the perfect balance of the things.

Himerish knew that he was not going to receive an answer at his incoming question, but he still tried, "Why me, Sir?"

"_You can help her."_ It was the answer. _"Trust me, there's a reason for everything."_

The warrior nodded. As he expected he wouldn't received any answer. But, after all, who was him to seek answers? Hadn't he adopted the same methods when he was Oracle? With that thought in his head he just nodded to the Element and approached the sleeping girl.

Seeing her now, Himerish would never have thought that only a few days ago she had been a dangerous warrior, devoured by hatred. A curious tickling sensation at his healed side reminded him of their violent fight.

He had been surprised beyond his imagination when he had found out that it was Will under that black hood. And it had been always her to steal the Red Orb and to attack Taranee without hesitation; she had also fought against eight of the best Basilidian warriors and she had almost killed them.

She had an enormous power, and he had never noticed that. When Will had been chosen as the Heart Keeper and the Jewel had been given to her, her body had unconsciously blocked her personal power; in fact to keep control on two different kinds of power would have been too much effort for a young girl like her. But when her Guardian's power had been removed, that strange energy had come back to grow and attracted Rifel.

At this point, it couldn't be put back into a sleep state. The power was too developed. Will would have to learn how to use it for good and not for killing.

Himerish let his arms slipping around and under the girl's back and scooped her up. Will was not heavy and easily leaned on the warrior's chest, as she kept on sleeping.

"_Yes."_ Lord Elyos said. _"Endarno will help you in your duty. I salute you, Warriors of Basiliade. May your journey be safe, may your return be good. I will stay here in Kandrakar for a while, before coming back to my brothers."_

"May peace be with you, Lord Elyos and Oracle." Himerish, Orube and Endarno said.

"Thank you." Yan Lin smiled: "Goodbye, my friends."

* * *

The first thought Will had when she woke up was to ask herself, why the alarm had not played and why her mother hadn't woken her up. She opened her eyes and saw a wooden cellar.

She immediately sat and looked around. She was in a little room. Next to her bed there were a desk, a chair, and a little table. The floor was covered by a soft carpet.

The memories' flow then suddenly hit her: Rifel, the Orbs, the war, the Kandhran. The Fire. The feeling of being burned alive. She touched her arms and face, but she only felt her smooth skin.

Will knew that she hadn't dreamed it, but she couldn't explain how she had escaped the fire and, above all, where she was in that moment. She got out of bed and put her feet on the carpet. She was wearing a white robe. The last thing she remembered to have worn was the black robe of the mages.

She went toward a window and looked outside. She saw a big sunny meadow and in the distance the edge of a forest. On the meadow there were wooden structures as those used for training in martial arts. They looked very used.

Will raised a hand toward the window and noticed that she was wearing a metallic bracelet at her wrist. Her other wrist too had one.

'_Magical chains'_ she suddenly thought. _'This place, even if it's beautiful, is a prison'._

The room's door opened. Repressing the urge to jump and suddenly attack her visitor, she turned slowly.

Himerish opened Will's door. He hadn't knocked because he wasn't expecting to see her awake. It's been two days that the girl was deeply asleep; exhausted from the trial and from everything that had happened. It was for this reason that when the warrior opened the door he found himself to look back at two very suspicious hazel eyes.

Will was standing next to the window. She looks like she had recovered well. She had her hand on the window, as she wished to be outside.

The two looked at each other in silence, as they had done in Kandrakar before their fight.

Then Himerish smiled and asked her, "Do you like it?" he pointed at the view outside the window.

"Where am I?" she asked without losing sight of him.

"You're in Basiliade." The warrior answered. "This is my home."

The girl didn't replied, but Himerish saw a flash of perplexity crossing her gaze.

"Follow me, Will, you need to eat. You've been sleeping for two days." He told her and invited her to come. But she didn't move; she kept on staring at him tensely as she expected an attack. She shook her head.

"Let's go." He ordered. The bracelets started to glow weakly and Will was suddenly forced to follow the warrior. She widened her eyes, then she let escape from her mouth something that sounded like an irritated growl. She began to walk willingly behind the warrior.

The warrior led her in a sunny room. There was a simply breakfast on a table. Himerish made Will sit and then he sat on front of her.

"Eat," he told her, "it's for you."

But Will didn't touch the food; instead she kept on looking at him: "Why am I here?" she asked.

There was a strange inflexion in her way of speaking, like a cold tone which intimidated, even if it was very weak. Himerish remembered that Rifel had that same tone when he spoke, but in the Black Mage it was much more evident.

Himerish thought back about what Lord Elyos had said about Will. _You can help her, trust me, _he had said. And he would have done it. He looked back in the girl's eyes and answered: "You're here because Kandrakar has decreed that your redemption period takes place here, in Basiliade, and they designated me as your guardian."

Will considered those words, but didn't reply. She lowered her gaze and started to eat in silence while Himerish looked at her and wished to be once more to be Oracle, to feel the young girl's thoughts.

When she was finished Himerish talked again, "Will, the bracelets you're wearing prevent you from going away from this place and allow me to know always where you are. I advise you not to run away, nor to try to use your power without permission. The bracelets will stop you from rebelling." He said.

Will nodded shortly and glared at him.

"And now, come with me. Let's begin with our exercises."

For the first time Will openly showed her confusion: "Exercise of what?" she asked. The warrior smiled: and replied, "You will see."

Himerish's house was big, Will had to admit that. When he led her in a big room equipped as a dojo she couldn't stop to look around with surprise. The walls were white; the floor was made in wood. In the corners there were lots of wooden weapons, protective gear, and various other kinds of equipment for fighting.

Himerish grabbed a set of protectors for the elbows and torso and tossed them to Will.

"I told you before that you're not allowed to use your power, but here you can. I'm going to teach you to control your strength. Rifel only taught you brute force, but power is nothing without control."

Will narrowed her eyes. The dojo reminded her of the training she had had with the Black Mage. The tasks she had faced. The warriors she had killed. The feeling of wild triumph when she was the only one left alive on the battlefield. She put down the protectors.

"No." She said.

"What?" Himerish asked.

"I don't want to fight." She repeated. "I don't give a damn about what Kandrakar had decided for me. I'm not interested in your plans, or your trainings. Leave me alone, lock me in a fucking cell and leave me there. It's simpler for you and it's simpler for me."

But Himerish was unimpressed. He unexpectedly moved toward Will and made her fall by leveraging on her legs. Will lost her breath for an instant.

"Nothing is simple." The warrior seriously replied. "You can't refuse. Put on the protections, or we will fight without them. Stand up, Will!"

Annoyance grew in Will. She felt her power burning inside her and the magical bracelets tickling her wrists. She stood up and threw away the protections with a kick. Then she attacked Himerish like she had done at Kandrakar. Himerish was waiting for her and parried the blow. Then he hit back.

Will fought like she had learned to do. She was fast and accurate. Her blows always had a purpose: to damage the most her opponent. But no matter how hard she tried she couldn't break the warrior's guard who was keeping her away from him.

Will kicked and managed to touch Himerish's side. _The side she had stabbed._.

Will lost her focus for an instant as images of the Kandrakar's fight popped in her mind. Blade against blade. Hatred. Fury. Sadness. Red blood on her hands. Killing Yan Lin.

The girl recoiled and the warrior attacked her. Will fully took his blow and was knocked back several metres. She fell badly on her back. She remained panting on the floor, staring at the dojo's cellar and focusing on the pain that was radiating from the point she had been hit.

"Stand up." Himerish said to her. "And stay focused. You can't lose your concentration during a fight."

Will remained still. "You will stand up, no matter when; we are going to start again." Himerish then said in a firm tone.

Will shut her eyes. Why did she have to fight? Why couldn't she stay in a cell and pay for all the pain she had caused? Why did she have to be forced to go over again all that deadly moves? Perhaps they served to remind her how much pain she had caused. If it was so they were doing perfectly.

She stood up on her feet again. Himerish was already in guard: "Let's start again." He said.

This time Himerish began the fight. Will limited herself to dodging and defending herself. She would have never attacked again.

Himerish guessed that. He began to leave holes in his guard to push Will into an attack. Will saw the openings and tried to suppress the urge to attack. But in the end, confused by all those openings, she didn't see the real attack that struck her in the face. She ended on the floor for the second time.

"I want you to attack." Himerish ordered her.

"No." Will snarled from the floor.

"If you don't face your fears you will never win against them." Himerish told her. "Fighting is just fighting, nothing more."

"Shut the fuck up!" Will exclaimed. "I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT ANYMORE!" she yelled. She was angry against Himerish, against herself. She was furious because she felt herself wrong, dirty, but yet she was still alive. She couldn't bear that.

"ATTACK, WILL!" Himerish yelled back. At that point, Will lost her mind. Her wrists began to burn and power started to flow through her body, her hands and her eyes glowed in reddish light as she jumped forward. She began to attack furiously the man in front of her; she was dominated by fury and despair. She felt her wrists burning painfully, a pale shadow of the fire that it had almost consumed her.

Himerish countered her attacks with calm and control. He felt her power overwhelming him; he knew that she was out of control.

Will hit him in his face. Himerish dodged, but her punch touched him and a light red scratch opened on his face. That red was like a cold shower to Will. She slowed once again her attack and tried to recoil.

And she was hit once again. Himerish hit her with his open hand in her stomach and sent her on the floor. Will remained there.

She felt to be completely exhausted only once she had stopped. The bracelets had eaten all her energy when she used her power. And also a deep tiredness, which came from her soul, was claiming her. She sighed softly while she felt her power falling asleep again, and heard Himerish speak, "We're done for today, Will."

Finally Will had calmed down. Now he could feel her tiredness. That fatigue was a good sign. Will needed to face her guilt; she needed to face her mistakes and to overcome them.

But there was still much to do and Himerish knew that. He felt that the anger that Will was feeling toward herself had not changed. He approached the girl.

Will was still on the floor and still was breathing heavily. She had her eyes closed and her face bathed in sweat. The warrior kneeled and helped her to come back on her feet. Will stood up, but she staggered when he let her go. Himerish was about to help her, but she pushed him away.

"Don't touch me." Will hissed. Rage veiled her voice. She went out of the room and silently returned in her room without looking at Himerish.

The warrior let her go and went toward his room to change. They had stayed in the dojo for many hours and the afternoon's light lightened his home.

Will dragged herself in her room and closed the door. Her body ached everywhere, and her heart as well. She went in the bathroom and activated the cold water. She undressed and went under the water jet, shivering and trembling. Will wished that the cold water might freeze her inner turmoil, but nothing. She stared at her hands. These were the hands of a killer. She closed her eyes and let the water washing away the sweat of that day.

When her feet and hands began to lose sensibility Will went out of the shower and got dressed. She sat on her bed.

She was caged in another world. Forced to live as if nothing had happened, forced to pass her days to pretend to be her old self. But it was wrong. She was changed and she couldn't go back. She didn't belong to that place.

She stayed in her room until evening. She was tired from the training, but she didn't want to rest. Simply, she _couldn't_. She didn't look fair to her to rest. And that thought at the same time disgusted her because it was a weakling's thought, feeling guilty was for weaklings.

She stood up. Basiliade's sky had three moons, three asters that flooded the world outside her window with their blue light.

She didn't want to stay there. To live with Himerish... knowing that he knew what she had done... it was unbearable.

She wanted to erase each single person who knew her. Killing them one by one to slowly obliterate her existence. Looking for them. Hunting them down.

She had to go away from here.

She put a hand on the window and weakly felt the magic to flow. Her room was magically sealed, she couldn't leave. Will grimaced. She _wanted _to go away from that bloody place, nothing would have stopped her.

She began to summon her power and suddenly her bracelets started to glow and to drain her energy. But Will ignored the feeling of weakness and started to hit the window with her power. The magic in her room prevented her from escaping.

"DAMN IT!" Will yelled angrily, "Nobody is going to keep me here against my will!"

Her power burst outward all at once and destroyed the whole wall. Fast as the wind Will rushed out and ran as fast as she could. She wanted to put more distance as possible between her and her prison, they mustn't find her. Her wrists were terribly burning, but she had to endure that. She entered the forest slightly panting, greeting the trees that hid her figure with the shadow of a smile.

The forest was silent. Will ran as she had learned to do dodging the obstacles and being herself like a shadow. The first thing to do was to get rid of those bracelets. They were slowing draining her energy and prevented her from teleporting away from that damned planet. The bracelets had eaten most of her power and now Will struggled to maintain her balance. She slowed her pace and stopped, she fell on her knees on the grass, panting and trying to regain her breath.

"Impressive, Will. You managed to get this far before collapsing after a day of training. You truly have an enormous power."

Will snapped her head up. Himerish was a few metres away from her with his back leaned against a tree. He was looking at her quietly. At that sight, Will felt a strong fury growing inside her.

"You!" she snarled, "How did you find me?" she asked, as she trembled with anger and tiredness. He shook his head in response before saying, "I always know where you are. I've told you. I knew that you weren't going to easily accept everything, so I imagined that you would have tried to run away." The warrior answered. "But it's useless. You can't go away, Will, and keeping on running off from everything. You can't hide in the darkness."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Will yelled and rushed toward him. But she had no more power so Himerish easily blocked her attack and immobilized her. He trapped her against the wet grass and held her tightly.

"Stop fighting now Will. You will only hurt yourself." Himerish told her. His tone was serious.

"I don't care about myself." She said. She felt increasingly weak, the bracelets just kept on draining her energy. "I don't care about my life. It was over a long time ago. I can't go back anymore."

"But do you wish to go back?" Himerish then asked.

Will remained silent. She closed her eyes and the forest's scent filled her senses. She had made her choice, a long time ago, to follow Rifel and to betray the ones she loved. She hadn't acted very differently from the girls, who had turned their back from her. She had wanted revenge, she had hated them. How could she want to go back to her old life?

"I don't." She said after a long silence. "I don't want to go back. And I neither want to go forward. I just want everything to end." She added, starting to lose her consciousness.

"Nothing ever ends, Will," it was the far reply from the warrior above her, "everything changes."

* * *

When Will woke up the next morning she found herself in her bed. Her room was intact. But the magic that surrounded her room was now stronger, and the bracelets too.

"Damn warrior..." she weakly whispered in her pillows and stared at the cellar above her.

* * *

New chapter done!

**I'm tired. Exams are draining me. I'm pale, I've shadows under my eyes, I'm always hungry... oh my I'm a zombie O.o**

**I wrote a One-shot related to this story: **_**Pride.**_** It explains why I didn't put Matt in my story until now. He is going to be here as well, but not now, it's not the time yet.**

**Next time: **_**The Dream, Pt. One: The first night.**_

**Have a good day, bye!**


	17. The Dream, Pt One: The first night

**I don't own W.I.T.C.H., it's from Disney.**

**Chapter beta-ed by XVDragon.**

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17. The dream, Pt. One: The first night

'_Wait... wait for me...'_

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It happened not much after Rifel had taken her with him. At that time, she hadn't learned to control her power yet. Will had heard a knock at her door's room and had gone to open, where Rifel was standing at the entrance.

"_My...Lord," Will said. She wasn't still used to call him that. She move__d and let him come in. In a few_

_steps the Mage entered and closed the door behind him._

"_Will" he said, "I'd want to talk with you about... you power." _

_Will stayed silent, waiting. Rifel then continued: "You see, you have a great power. And I know how to awaken it. But who assure me that once I have awakened you power you'll keep your promise?" _

"_You have my word," was Will's reply._

"_Your word is not enough, girl..." Rifel replied. Will hadn't noticed, but the Mage, as he spoke, had approached her. And when Will finally noticed it was already too late, he was so close to touch her. Rifel grabbed her and held her tightly. _

"_Ah! Let me go! You're hurting me!" Will cried. With one move the Mage had pushed her on the bed behind her. Now Will was lying down on her back and Rifel towered over her. The girl's breath became short and erratic while cold shivers began to cross her whole body. At that sight Rifel had smiled: _

"_Are you scared, Will?" He whispered to her. _

"_Please... let me go... please..." Will begged in tears. The Mage bent toward her and stopped her pleas with a deep and slow kiss. Will felt herself stifling, she would have wanted to run away, but she was blocked by the man's irony grip. She felt his presence over her pressing on her body; she felt her shaking passing to Rifel's body every time that he deepened the kiss. _

_And suddenly it ended. Rifel stopped the kiss and rose from her; he went to brush her ear with his lips. With a confident tone he had slowly whispered to her words that she could never forget, "This was to teach you who is the Lord here, Will. I don't tolerate betrayals and I have no mercy. We have a deal and I expected you to respect it. If you rebel against me, I could do to you something worse than a simple kiss... you understand?" _

_Incapable to make a sound, Will nodded. Rifel then moved away from her and let her go. He went at the door and spoke to the girl, "The training starts tomorrow. A servant will call you. We start at dawn, be prepared for that time." His tome was cold and detached as always. _

_Will nodded again. But as he went away Rifel stopped near the door and looked at her with a face that made Will shiver, "Goodnight, Will." He said, and the door closed behind him._

* * *

Will suddenly woke up and sat on her bed. She looked around with heavy breath, asking herself why her room looked so unfamiliar. Then she remembered. She was on Basiliade under Himeirsh's care. She only had a dream. A nightmare.

She stood up and staggered toward the bathroom, where she fell exhaust and threw up. She stayed still for several minutes to listen at her heartbeat and trying to calm herself.

She kept on repeat to herself that it was just a dream, but she knew that it wasn't entirely true, that was also a memory.

She cursed herself for the fear she had felt during her dream and for the fear she was currently feeling.

She went back in her room and lay on the bed. The sleep took her again, erasing the dream's memory, but leaving her with a feeling of coldness and malaise.

That morning, Will woke up feeling heavy and distressed without knowing why. She got dressed and went in the room where Himerish and she usually had breakfast.

Himerish's attempts to have a conversation with her during their meal were to enjoy, but Himerish only wasted his time.

"Good morning, Will." The warrior greeted her when she entered.

"Goodmorning." She replied without looking back at him. She sat and began to eat her breakfast.

"This morning we are going to train as usual." Himerish began, "but no training in the afternoon." He stopped talking to eat and left the phrase unfinished.

Will hated him so much when he acted like that. Seeing herself forced to participate to the conversation she rolled her eyes and asked, "Why aren't we going to train in the afternoon? May I know?"

"Yes, you may." He nodded and smiled, "Endarno is going to come here. He will teach you another type of magic."

Will didn't like it at all. She barely endured Himerish's presence, but Endarno? Those two in the same room? She'd rather die.

"What kind of magic?" she asked.

"Healing magic. Endarno is really talented in healing spelles. He'll come to help you to use your power…" but he was interrupted by Will's mirthless laugh:

"Me? Healing magic? I hope you're KIDDING!" Will stood up. She was trembling in fury. She didn't know why she was feeling so frustrated and angry, maybe because of the fact to have to obey Himerish's orders, or perhaps because she was forced to learn such a ridiculous magic.

"Did you look at me? Maybe each time that my power hit you, you were somewhere else! My magic KILLS! It doesn't heal. It's born to kill. It's positive that I am here in this place to waste my time, but I wasn't aware that you were so keen to waste yours."

"This is to us to decide." Himerish replied, unimpressed by Will's speech.

Will knew she hadn't a chance to win. She sighed to regain her calm, and then she sat down again. She nodded, "Okay. Let's try this useless thing."

"Good." A satisfied Himerish said. "Let's go now. We're alredy late."

Will sighed again. What a great start. Really.

The hours in the dojo passed quickly. After the first days Will had learned to appreciate those hours. During their fight Will could stop thinking and let out all her energy. But no matter how hard she tried, she never managed to defeat Himerish. He seemed to anticipate all her moved and waited for her calmly. He always managed to put her in a difficult position.

"It's because you fight like a wounded beast, girl." He had told her once. "Your face is like a mask when you fight, which are carved fury and anger. But those feelings are easy to read. They always strike where it hurts the most. Even if you try to hide your moves, in the end your target is always the same."

It was true. Himerish protected very well his vital points; and Will had been trained to aim always at those points. She knows to protect herself too, but Himerish didn't fight to kill. A level was enough to get her on the ground and to trap her under his weight.

After the training Will went straight in her room. "Be ready in two hours." Himerish told her.

"I'm not going anywhere." It was the sarcastic response.

* * *

Endarno arrived an hour and half after. Himerish greeted his friends with a smile, "Endarno, how are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I'm here as you requested me. How is she?" he asked him. His tone slightly cracked. Endarno was a fiery and strict warrior and didn't tolerate insolence. Will's recent attitude could only make things worse.

But, in spite of appearances, Endarno really cared for the Guardians. For all the five of them. And if one of them had gone away from the right path, then it was his duty as a warrior and Sage to bring her back on the right road.

"She's physically fine." Himerish said. His expression became serious: "My friend, be patient with her. Please."

"Trust me. I know what to do."

"Then come with me, I'll show you to her room."

Himerish led Endarno to Will's room and then he left him alone. He didn't want to make Will feel uncomfortable with his unnecessary presence. Endarno was perfectly capable of doing that alone.

Endarno knocked.

"Come in." A muffled voice said.

The warrior entered and saw the girl on the bed with a book. He saw a flash of distrust crossing her young face as he approached her. Will put down the book.

"Endarno." She said, looking him straight in his eyes. Her voice was cold and full of suspicion just like her eyes; everything in the young girl spoke of mistrust and suspicion. But Endarno, remembering Himerish's warnings, kept on approaching her and stopped in front of Will. He did a short greeting nod and spoke:

"Will, I'm here to teach you a particular kind of magic, healing magic. As you already know you have a great amount of power which could save many lives if used in the right way."

"I'm not interested." Will interrupted him with hard voice. "I think that you'll waste your time."

The warrior raised an eyebrow: "That is to me to decide. Now reach out and start to focus." He ordered. Will obeyed and closed her eyes to have a better focus.

"Good." Endarno's voice said. "Now, healing magic requires a constant concentration, because it has to be summoned as a constant flux to be effective. So now try to summon a little bit of your power and to keep it between your hands for a while."

Will tried. It wasn't easy at all. She was used to release deathly energy shots, maximum effect in minor time. She summoned a tiny energy spark and tried to keep it between her hands, but it disappeared after only thirty seconds.

"Try again." The warrior told her.

The half-hour that followed was entirely devoted to that exercise. Will discovered that it was very difficult, but on the other side she didn't have to think during the exercise. At the end of the thirty minutes she was able to keep the power's flow for about two minutes.

"Very good." The warrior complimented her. He was surprised even if he didn't show it. Will showed a remarkable focusing skill for her age and a considerable control on her power. It was surely thanks to the training she had had with the Black Mage. But now came the hard part.

"Now you have to turn your power into healing magic. You have to restrain all the negative feelings during the flow. You have to let the magic to flow peacefully through you and to make it go where there's something to heal. This magic is to heal, not to destroy. Destroying is easier than healing.

"I don't get it." Will said.

"Try it." Endarno encouraged her. Will grimaced and stretched her hands. A dark-red aura circled slowly circled them and started to pulse.

"This is killing energy." Endarno said. "Try to turn it into healing energy, relax and let that the power flows without any negative feeling."

"I don't... understand..." Will said, her face contracted with effort. She clenched her fists and the energy suddenly disappeared.

"All of this is nonsense. It's only a waste of time." She affirmed coldly.

Endarno raised an eyebrow. She was so different from the Guardian he used to know. It looks like around her it was a cocoon of anger and sadness, as if she was a wounded animal that tries to defend herself attacking everyone approached her.

"Then look." He said. He summoned from his hand a tiny blue light which started to pulse softly. "Put your hand on mine." He told her. The girl looked at him with distrust, but she reached out to touch the warrior's palm.

She felt immediately a warmth. The warmth was delicate and radiated from Endarno's hand to pass through her arm and invade her body, to reach her heart.

She suddenly felt sick. That warmth was too much for her and for her heart. She didn't deserve that after the things she had done. And, especially, that was something she would never be able to do after the atrocities she had committed. At that moment thought, Endarno's energy became even stronger inside her. It was unbearable.

"Stop!" Will cried. She turned away her hand and lowered her gaze. She was angry. She couldn't look into her teacher's eyes.

"Will, are you all right?" A worried Endarno asked. She was positive he had felt her reaction.

"Yes... I'm okay. Go away, please." Will answered and tried to keep a firm tone.

"Look at me." Endarno said.

"Go away!"

"Look at me." He ordered. Will then stared at his blue eyes.

And then it happened. Endarno suddenly found himself plunged in thoughts that didn't belong to him.

_Endarno is watching the room in which is kept the Yellow Orb. The eight warriors are deployed and ready to fight for it. _

_Will is alone in front of them. _

_Powerless, he watches Will summoning her power and defeating them one by one, he sees the warriors falling, and he hears the agonizing screams of the wounded. He sees the red blood forming scarlet arcs in the air. _

_He watches Will defeating seven warriors, leaving alone the eighth. The youngest. The warrior raises his sword and puts himself before the Orb. _

_Will challenges__ him to come. The challenge is accepted. _

_It's only an instant but it's like forever to Endarno. He sees the young warrior flying in the air, his face distorted by terror and astonishment. And he sees the scarlet lighting fully hitting him in the air. The boy falls on the ground shaking with pain. _

_Will advances among the warriors' bodies, impassive, towards her prize, the Yellow Orb. But the boy doesn't want to give up and grabs her ankle. Will then calmly bends over him and grabs him for the neck. _

_She starts to tighten her grip slowly. _

The memory ended. Endarno found himself in Will's room as nothing had happened. He was shattered by the things he had seen, because many of those warriors had been his pupils. He personally had watched them becoming men. And now he had seen their pain and he couldn't do anything. Trying to regain his composure, he returned to look at the girl in front of him.

Will raised an eyebrow, "_Did you like it?_" she whispered to Endarno very slowly.

"You little...!" He grabbed her for the neck and held her close to him. Will stood without moving and without reacting.

"Do it." She provoked him. "Let's see if you're going to feel the same as me when I strangled that warrior."

Endarno saw anger and hatred in Will's eyes. But he was a wise man. He realized that those feelings weren't directed toward him, but toward herself. She wanted to be punished for what she had done. She wanted Endarno to despise her as much as she despised herself, she wanted proof of her malice. He shook his head and let Will go. He sighed to regain his composure.

"We're done for today, Will. Next time we're going to focus on Healing energy. I salute you, girl."

Endarno went out of the room closing the door behind him and leaving a silent and angry Will.

Endarno went to Himerish's dojo, "I finished for today, Himerish." He said. The other stopped working and looked back at him.

"So how did it go?" he asked. Endarno inhaled deeply before talking.

"She is... angry with herself. She hates herself. I believe that she feel herself... not worthy to live." He looked at Himerish, "Lord Elyos has given us a really hard task."

"Do you want to give up?" Himerish asked. The other paused before speaking, then shook his head.

"No. If the Kandhran judged her innocent it means that she has paid for her sins. We must give her a chance. The hard thing is to convince her to forgive herself."

"I agree with you." Himerish replied.

"Now I have to go, my friend. I'll come back when you'll call for me. Go to her now, don't leave her alone." Endarno recommended to him.

"Thank you Endarno." Himerish smiled. He walked him to the door and went to Will's room. He knocked, but he didn't receive any answer. He entered anyway.

Will was standing near the window and was looking outside with hollow eyes.

"Will." The warrior called her. Still she didn't say a word. "Will, come with me."

This time it worked, even though it was because she couldn't disobey to a direct order, thanks to the bracelets. Himerish led her in the garden. They started to walk silently in the afternoon.

After a few minutes of silence Himerish heard Will's voice, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

And finally they arrived. The lake was hidden by the trees of the forest, not really far away from the garden. The water was pure and it shone in the sunset. It was a place hidden from people's eyes.

"I used to come here when I was young" Himerish said in a low tone, "to train and study. It was a quiet place and nobody came here, except for some old fisherman. Do you like it?"

Will approached the lake; she kneeled near the lake shore and started to run her fingertips over the water's surface. She sat and took a pebble in her hands.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked, letting the pebble fall in the water.

"Because I'd want to soften your sadness." Himerish replied. "And I thought that this place's beauty would have helped you."

Will looked at him. She didn't expect such a direct response. She stared at her guardian for a while, and then she turned toward the sun, "Yes... I like this place." She said. Himerish smiled at this.

"You're not alone, Will." He told her. The girl lowered her head.

"I don't need those lessons about the Healing magic. It's all useless." She whispered.

"It's not like you to give up so soon, child."

"I'm not a child."

"I've been an Oracle for a really long time. I saw countless lives passing before my eyes. I saw people being born, grow and die. You're a child to me." Himerish replied.

Will sighed and paused. Then she spoke again, but without looking at him. "Thank you for having showed me this place." She said.

And he smiled. There was still hope. Rifel hadn't completely corrupted her. They could save her.

"You're welcome, my child."

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Rifel haunts Will even after his death. What a delightful person, isn't he? xD

**I ****think that this story will have still... eight or nine chapters before its end. **

**Thx to XVDragon who's helping me in correcting my chapters.**

**I'm not so satisfied with this chapter because I personally find it a little boring, but it can't be helped... everything it's useful for the story, even if it bores me. But I hope you like it anyway! XD**

**So, next time with: **_**The Dream, Pt. Two: The first kill.**_


	18. The Dream, Pt Two: the first kill

**I don't own W.I.T.C.H.**

**Chapter beta-ed by XVDragon.**

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18. The Dream, Pt. Two: The first kill

'_Call... call my name...' _

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Among all the lessons that Rifel had given her, Will could never forget her first day of training.

_Will is standing in the middle of the Arena, circled by some big men. She is afraid because she is tired after all the sessions she did with Rifel to awaken her power; she is afraid because although now she can feel the energy flowing through her veins, she has no idea how to control it. And Rifel knew that very well. _

"_Will__, you need this lesson to learn how to control your energy." Rifel says from a balcony. "And moreover you need it also to learn what true power is." _

"_What do I have to do?" Will asks. She is tired, but ready. _

"_Defeat them all," the Mage says, "they know that if they lose they will be punished, so they're going to be serious. This test will end when you, or them, are defeated." _

_Will looks at them. She sees no mercy in the men's eyes. They're squeezing their weapons so hard that their knuckles are white. Will feels her cold sweat slowly going down her spine, freezing her muscles already stiffened for the stress. _

_The warriors are five, big and ready to everything._

"_You can begin." Rifel orders with a hand gesture. _

_A warrior instantly attacks her, but Will dodges him. She dodges the second too, but the third one slightly wounds her with his sword. Will grits her teeth for the pain and doesn't see coming the fourth's warrior mace blow. The blow hit her in the stomach so hard that she's thrown away of a couple of metres. Will rolls on the ground, she bites the dust. She coughs and red blood stains the ground in front of her. _

"_Remain vigilant." Rifel's voice says. _

_She stands up because the warriors didn't stop attacking. She runs away. Her only wish is to escape the blows, to survive._

"_Attack, Will!" Rifel orders. _

_But Will suddenly feels something like a boiling flame carving into her back and she collapses on the ground, crying loud. The fifth warrior keeps on whipping her and the weapon hisses in the air like an angry snake. _

"_Stop!" Will yells with tears in her eyes. The warriors laugh. The man whips her harder._

"_No one will have pity on you, Will." An amused Rifel says. "They are not going to stop, and they're your allies! Your opponents will be much worse. You gain respect with brute force. Show them that you're stronger than them and crush them to your will, this is the only way to win." _

_Now they're kicking her, in addition to the whip's hits. Will now is feeling only pain. _

_No, not only pain. There's something else. Rage. Fury. It grows at every hit. _

_Will cries again, but this time is like a roar and the power she had waited so much for explodes like a volcano and blows away her attackers. The silence fills the Arena. _

_Will stands up again. Her energy is regenerating her and is charging her muscles with electricity. She raises her gaze and sees the first two men who attacked her. She rushes toward them and nails them to the wall with monstrous strength, then she steals the mace to the fourth warrior and blows him away together with the third one. _

_She lets the fifth one for last. He tries to whip her, but Will stops the weapon in the air and incinerates it. She stops a few metres away from the shaking man and looks at him. Now he looks so miserable in front of her power. _

_Will doesn't know what to do, so she turns toward Rifel:_

"_What do I have to do?" she asks. The Mage smiles: _

"_Do what you want." He tells her._

_The man suddenly tries to attack her while she is still turned, but Will is faster. Without thinking she hits him in his stomach with her arm fully charged with energy and pierces him as __if he were a rag doll. The warrior gurgles and falls on the ground. _

_Will retracts her hand. It's entirely red, wet, warm. She killed him, she killed a man. Her throat suddenly closes and her head starts to spin, but before she could begin to be sick seriously she hears a noise at her back. _

_The other men. They have kneeled in front of her and they're bowing desperately, hoping that she could spare them. At that sight the nausea is replaced by a strange feeling. She won. _

_The men respect her. They fear her and they don't dare to look into her eyes. _

_Oh, Yes. Being feared, what an intoxicant feeling. _

_She slowly walks away from the corpse and passes through the men without looking at them. Will looks for the Mage's eyes and slowly raises her hand stained with blood. _

_From the balcony, Rifel nods and smiles._

A dream, a memory. Will woke up with heavy breathe.

She sat and shook her head to kick away from her mind the image of the man she had killed, but those didn't want to vanish.

She was shaking and she was cold. She felt tears at the corners of her eyes, but she forced herself to lock them inside her heart. What was happening to her, why she was feeling so bad?

It was all Himeirsh's fault if she was forced to revive those moments, if she was forced to face them at night without being able to run and hide from the pain and guilt. She wished for a moment to have disappeared in the magical fire just like Rifel, at least she would have felt nothing more.

"Will, are you all right?

Will winced and turned toward the door. Himerish was near the entrance and was looking at her worriedly. She saw his gaze lingering on her trembling figure.

"You cried in your sleep." The warrior told her.

"Did you hear me?" she asked with a flat tone.

"My room's next to yours."

"Ah." Will shook her head again to turn the bad thoughts away: "It was just a dream." Will replied without emotion. "Go away."

"Just a dream?" Himerish repeated. He stepped in the room, but he immediately stopped when he saw Will stiffening.

"Yes... a dream. Go away... please." The girl told him. She was feeling a heavy tiredness on her; she lay on the bed just wanting to close her eyes and sleep.

"Will..." Himerish whispered, but in vain. The girl was already asleep with a sad expression on her face. The warrior stared at her for a while, then he went away, closing the door.

* * *

The next morning Will didn't remember anything of the dream, as often happens. The girl sat tiredly at the table and started to eat without enthusiasm. Himerish glanced at her."No training today." He told her.

Will looked at him, "Why not?"

"Today I have to go to the nearby village to visit the Fighting Academy. I am a Supreme Warrior and I have my duties. And you're coming with me." He told her.

"I'm not coming."

"Oh yes, you are."

"You're a pain in the ass."

"Language, Will."

As usual, Will could do nothing but sigh.

By mid-morning they prepared to leave. Himerish led her in the garden, where an incredible animal was waiting for them:

"WHOA! What's that?" Will exclaimed widening her eyes.

"It's a flaming horse. His name's Feraven."

It was a powerful horse with living flames instead of the mane and tail. He was patiently waiting to be ridden, but sometimes he hit the ground with his paw.

The. Fire. _Alive_. Will's head started to spin and she began to feel sick. She felt the world closing on her even if they were outside, she thought for an instant to be circled by angry flames ready to devour her.

But this thought was suddenly interrupted by Himerish's firm grip on her shoulders. He looked straight into her eyes and spoke to her: "His fire will not burn you. Trust me. Try. But if really you think that you can't do it, then we will find another way to go to the village."

His confidence somehow passed to Will who nodded and tried to take a few steps toward the horse. He reached out to brush his flaming neck. The horse whinnied nervously and moved away from her.

"He feels your fear. Relax, Will" Himerish said.

Will touched Feraven with her fingers. She didn't get burn. Will anyway took quickly away her hand and turned toward her guardian:

"Can you do it?" he asked her. A little spark of pride lit in Will and softened her fear.

"Sure I can." She said in a firmer tone. "Let's go."

Himerish made Will sit before him and they left together toward the village. Feraven galloped like the wind. He almost looked like he was flying on the road.

Will's fear was not gone, but she had enough nerve to control it. And moreover, even if she would have never admitted it, Himerish's proximity reassured her. She felt protected.

When they reached the village Himerish reduced Feraven's speed to not run over the villagers at his passage. The people recognized him and greeted him with respect by bowing as they passed.

"You are really well-respected here." Will was impressed. Everyone seemed to know Himerish.

"I taught many of their children." It was the answer. "I'm good at my job." He smiled to her. Will rolled her eyes.

They dismounted near the academy's entrance. Himerish glanced at her, he looked unsure about something. He sighed and said:

"Will it's going to be a long and boring thing for you, today. So I decided to give you a chance. You're free to go to the village and to do what to want, but you don't have to cause damage to the others or to yourself. Understood? And, please, don't try to run away like you did the last time. I'm sure you learned the lesson."

Will couldn't believe to his words. He was giving her a day of freedom? Had he gone mad? She looked at him suspiciously.

"What are you planning?" she asked him narrowing her eyes, while Himerish laughed.

"Nothing, child. But please, try to stay away from trouble. Don't betray the trust I've just given you."

Even if he was smiling his gaze was serious. That was a test of confidence and she had to show to be worthy of it.

"Okay." Will then repled with a shrug. "Have fun." And she turned her back to slip into a nearby street.

Himerish wondered if he had done the right thing by leaving her free for the day. But he couldn't keep her always under his care, sooner or later she would have left, Will had to be given back to her family and to her world. And he had to be sure that she wouldn't try to hurt the people in the future.

But above all Will had to learn, no, to _remember_, that people must be respected, that they were human beings, lives to protect.

He entered the academy. At least the bracelets would have warned him in case of danger.

Will was walking and looking around the Basilidian village. It was a beautiful day and the villagers were doing their work without rushing. It was very different from Earth; here nobody looked obsessed by the thought of finishing as fast as possible a job to go to rest or to have some free time.

Basiliade's people knew that it was a time for everything: work, fun, rest. Everything was on the same level of importance, without one of them a person's balance cracked and the soul suffered.

Living with Himerish Will had accepted that life, but that didn't mean that she liked it. She was bored to death. She felt so repressed. When she lived with Rifel she was forced to obey him, but the Mage was the only one who could control her. She was above the others. She was used to do missions for him: punishing people, scaring them. Killing them. Artifacts to steal. She had been a thief and a killer, but except for those times she was free to do whatever she wanted. Even if she hadn't taken advantage of it very often.

From that fateful night, the one of the first trial, she had lost every wish and every will. What's left if everyone abandon you? She had felt lost. For that reason every time that Rifel gave her a mission she fulfilled it with zeal. He gave her a purpose. Something to achieve. And every time a mission ended she felt alive, as she was ready to start a new life, it was in those moments that her feelings and emotions returned to her and made her human again.

But then, inevitably... she fell again in the same apathy. The truth was that nothing attracted her anymore. She felt emptied from every feeling and humanity.

But she lived. In a certain way, she accepted that. She accepted it because the pain vanished together with everything else.

But now it was all different. Himerish pushed her to rediscover her feelings; he reopened her wounds and forced her to face her fears. He had even forced her to learn the healing magic.

After a few lessons Will had been able to control the healing art, even if every time she used it she felt drained of her strength. Now she could heal small wounds, but Endarno had told her that if she applied she could heal heavy wounds, and even saving lives.

Saving lives. Her. Who knows…

She sat on a wall and sighed. Everything was so quiet and peaceful... maybe she would have stayed with Himerish. She was bored anyway.

A sudden lament caught her attention. It was far, but she had heard it anyway. She looked around but the streets were almost deserted. She stood up and followed that sound, she was decided to find the source.

Will arrived at a stream's bank. Not far away from her a there was an old lady. It was her who was whimpering. She was holding her ankle, which looked swollen. Will slowly approached her and the woman looked at Will:

"Young girl, could you please help me to stand up?" she asked Will. Her voice was calm and gentle, although it was evident that the ankle hurt a lot. At that sight, Will felt a strange feeling in her chest. It took her while to realize that she felt sorry for the old woman.

"What happened?" Will asked, surprised by her own reaction.

"I was taking a bit of water for cooking, but I slipped on the wet stones. My ankle is twisted, I think."

"Does it hurt?"

"A bit." The woman replied. She tried to stand up, but she grimaced and held a lament. Will approached her and helped her. She didn't want that the old lady suffered more. "Thank you young girl," the lady thanked her, "normally my granddaughter helps me, but today she went to the academy. A very wise man is teching there today."

"Uhm, yeah... I heard about that." Will vaguely said.

"And why aren't you at the lesson, friend? You have the right age to be a warrior." The woman asked.

"I come from a different place. Just a traveller."

The old lady grimaced again as they slowly went away from the bank. Will helped her and made her sit in a sunny place. The woman then sighed.

"Thank you, you gave me a great help. Now I will rest for a bit and then I'll return to my home." She told Will.

"But your ankle?" Will asked.

"It will recover."

Will looked at her. She looks so peaceful although she was wounded. She had been gentle with her even if she was suffering. She was a good person. Will instinctively put her hands on the woman's foot.

"Let me see." she said. The ankle was very swollen. It surely hurt a lot. Will suddenly wished that the old woman, who had been so kind to her, didn't feel any pain, that she could be well and that she could return safe to her home. She was feeling that wish as a burning desire because every time the woman suffered... she felt pity for her.

And the power burst out of her hands powerful and full of life. A constant flux of healing magic invaded the woman's ankle and healed it. The woman widened her eyes and the she looked at Will.

"You are a healer! You helped me. I can walk!" Will helped the woman to stand up. Once on her feet the woman hugged Will.

"Thank you." She said. "Thank you for your kindness."

Will widened her eyes. The woman's embrace was tight. She felt... strange. She was feeling a strange warmth in her chest, a warmth that didn't burn. She felt... well.

She was happy. Happy to have helped someone.

Will smiled and returned the hug. She was not a murderer and a thief, she was just Will. And she had helped a person. It was wonderful.

* * *

When Himerish went out of the academy he found that Will was waiting for him near the flaming horse.

"How did it go?" she asked him. Himerish gave her a perplexed look, because she usually never spoke to him if he didn't ask her to first.

"Very well." He replied, "They are good boys. They will become good warriors. How was your day?"

"I... it was okay. I didn't destroy anything." She added with a half-smile.

Will was in an incredible good mood. Himerish decided that it was a great sign and returned the smile.

"Well, these are definitively good news." He said, "Let's go home, okay?"

"Yes, let's go."

**

* * *

**

Such a long time from my last update and I have for you another quiet chapter. But I'm almost done with these dream thing

**s, from next chapter the plot is gonna move again!**

**I'll try to put the next up a bit sooner.**

**Next time: **_**The Dream, Pt. Three: the first defeat.**_


	19. The Dream, Pt Three: The first defeat

**I don't own W.I.T.C.H., it's from Disney**

**Chapter beta-ed by XVDragon**

**There is some blood in this chapter. I just wanted to warn you first, but it's okay.**

* * *

**19. The Dream, Pt. Three: the first defeat**

'_I'm coming...'_

* * *

"_Tomorrow you're going to __fight against my best warrior." Rifel had told her, "Be prepared. __If you win, then you will be ready." _

_Will is ready. She sits on the bed's edge. She tought all the night about what she will do. Another warrior. Another killing. It __doesn't matter if he's the best. She is the best. __Nothing will stop her. _

_Will opens her door and heads for the Arena. When she enters, she sees Rifel standing in the middle of the room waiting for her. __Will stops in front of him and waits. After a minute she speaks, "Where's my opponent, my Lord?" the girl asks. __Rifel smiles at her. _

_The man ties his hair in a ponytail and answer her, "I am you opponent today, Will." _

_Surprise strikes Will. Rifel? Does she have to fight against him? It can't be, she can't defeat him. He's too strong. _

"_You're thinking that you have no hope." Rifel states. It wasn't a question. The Mage always knew what she was thinking, it was so simple for him to read her feelings. Will had always wondered if he could read minds. _

"_Yes, I am." She admits, looking away from him. _

"_And why are you thinking this?" he asks her as he advances toward her, "You are strong. I trained you. You've never been defeat__ed. And have you ever thought" he asks, nailing her to his golden eyes, "that the studend could have surpassed the master?" __They are close, very close. _

"_I-I..." Will starts. But before she can even starts to collect her thoughts Rifel attacks her. It a dark violet energy wave, it__'s powerful, it's heavy. It's like receiving a cannon shot in her chest. __Will is thrown away. _

"_Your duty today, child, it's the same as always." Rifel says. "Defeat your opponent. It doesn't matter who is he o how much is __strong. __Understood?" _

_Will quickly stands up. "This means that if I win I'll have to kill you?" she asks sceptically. The Mage nods._

"_Exactly. But __it's not going to be simple." __He concludes lowering his voice. _

_Rifel attacks again. This time Will is ready and dodges her master. Rifel doesn't stop at the first strike, he presses her and t__ests her agility. __And Will keeps on dodging, her breath is erratic, her muscles are tense._

_Will lets him hit her, because she realises that the only way to gain distance is to be thrown away by his strenght. She accepts his blow shielding herself with her arms and she gains a couple of metres. Then she attacks back. Will charges Rifel, ready to hit, but the Mage doesn't wait for her. __He violently hits the battlefield and it began to tremble and shake like during an earthquake. The girl is forced to stop her assault._

"_You can do better than this, Will, I'm so disappointed." Rifel tells her. He's provoking her, but there's more in his tone. He's warning her to work harder. Will grits her teeth. _

_Will calls her power and shoots to Rifel a series of curved energy blows. They are meant to follow him even if he tries to dodge __them. __But the Mage doesn't avoid them, he circles himself with an energy barrier, where Will's blows shatter on impact. _

_Will's breath starts to become heavy. She has no more ideas. He's too strong. She can't hit him. _

_When fear overcomes her Ri__fel makes his move. He teleports in front of her and grabs her by the throat. __Will tries to escape but the Mage strenghten his grip. _

"_It's so easy for me to read your moves." He slowly tells her as he keeps on tightening, "you an open book, child. You're not re__ady. And you fear me. Why?" But Will obviously can't reply. __Her throat is close._

"_You're scared because" Rifel continues, "you fear the pain. But haven't you already lost everything? Haven't you already suffered enough to know what true pain is? __Haven't you learned the lesson yet?" he asks her. He begins to summon his power, which shapes in many dark violet nails. The nails stab her all together and mercilessly. __And Will feels that she's dying, she wants to cry, but she can't. _

_Rifel lets her fall. She remains on the ground, panting. _

"_Stand up." He orders. She obeys. _

"_Now you will attack without hesitation." He orders her agian. She doesn't nod, she throws herself against him with fury and starts to attack._

"_Better." He says as he dodges her strikes._

_Will only sees the Mage in front of her. She must hit him, she keeps on repeat to herself, she has to hit him, wound him. __But he's faster than her. He's elusive like a shadow. __Will wonders if the frustration that she's feeling is the same sentiment that her previous opponents had felt while they fought against her._

_She manages to hit him. __Slightly, but she touched him. She attacks with renewed strenght. She can do it. She hits him again. This time with more force. Again. And again._

_And Rifel falls without a lament. __Will's body automatically moves, the girl is above him and raises her hand to strike. The Mage is silently looking at her. There's no fear in his eyes. Only expectation._

_But Will can't hit him. __He was the only one who had helped her, the only one who had wanted her when everyone had left. He had made her stronger, he had trained her. He was her master. __How could she hit him?_

"_Pathetic."_

_Will suddenly finds herself on the ground and it's Rifel who's towering on her now. The Mage grabs her tightly, but he doesn't s__trike._

"_Why did you hesitate?" he inquires. __"Why didn't you hit me?"_

_Will doesn't reply. She really can't explain why. Or maybe she can, but she's too scared to admit it._

"_Answer me, Will." The Mage orders her._

"_I can't hit you..." Will exhales closing her eyes. "I don't w-want to hit you..."_

_Rifel lets her go. Will stands up. The Mage's yellow eyes seems to pierce the ones of the girls in front of him._

"_You don't want to hit me... why?" he demands in a low tone. __He takes a step forward. "It's because I am... your master, Will?" He takes another step. "But a student should obey what the teacher tells." Now he's close to the girl. "And if it's not because of this, then… why?" he bends toward her and brushes her cheek with his lips. Will winces. "It's because... you care for me, child?" he whispers to her slowly._

_Will looks away. Rifel's magical power suddenly lifts her and throws her agains a wall. Will feels his whole body protesting for the impact. She slowly slips on the ground, but she remains nailed to the wall, her face against the hard stones. Rifel didn't release her._

_She hears him approching. She feels him close. Fear immediatly wakes up in her, but she can't move, she can't do anything. She hears him kneeling next to her but she fails to turn her head to face him._

"_Am I right, Will?" he asks her. "About what I said?"_

_Will closes__ her eyes and nods. __The only thing she wants now is to erase every her previous action._

"_Incredible." The Mage comments._

_Suddenly Will feels Rifel's hands on her and immediately stiffens._

"_What are you doing?" she esclaims._

"_I'm teaching you a lesson." __It's the answer. With an only move he rips her tunic and reveals her back. Will tries to move, but it's all useless._

"_Calm down, child." He says._

_Rifel puts hi__s hand on Will's back and starts to murmur a spell. __Will feels a strange warmth from his hand to all her back. Immediately after she feels a wave of cold invading her body._

_Rifels removes his hand and releases her from the magic grip. Will turns and tries to cover herself._

"_What did you do?" she asks suspiciously._

"_I carved a rune on your back." __He replies. Now he looks amused._

"_Why?"_

_Rifel waves his hand. And immediately Will feels every single muscle of her body tensing and tearing, restoring themselves only to break another time, she feels her bones breaking, her blood boiling. __Will cries, she cries loudly. She has never felt such a pain. Never._

"_This," Rifel begins to explain the agonizing girl, "ensures me total control over you. __If you disobey me, if you betray me, you'll regret it dearly. This rune is going to activate every time I want, Will, and I am the only one who can stop it. The rune vanishes only with my death, but if it will be you to kill me, then the rune will consume you together with me. And everything you're feeling now," he adds cruelly, "will be nothing compared to what will be after."_

"_STOP!" Will yells in convulsions, "STOP, PLEASE, MAKE IT STOP!" she cries._

"_And this is also to teach you," Rifels continues as he had never been interrupted, "that pity it's for the weaks. __And so it's affection. Or trust. If you're holding back from hitting an enemy, if you pity him, he will return to kill you in you sleep. If you trust someone, he will betray you when you'll entrust him with yourself. Will, I don't want your trust," he says in a mocking tone, "I only want your power and your loyalty. You're only a tool to me, I want to make this clear. And until you keep this in mind... You'll have nothing to fear." He finishes._

_Will keeps on screaming and writhing. __But now added to physical pain there's also the one for Rifel's words. She'd been so stupid! She had trusted someone once again, and again she has been wounded. But it was her fault, because in the deep she knew she was only a puppet. But because of her feelings... her humanity, she had built for herself the illusion of being wanted. A bud of hope. A false hope._

"_I..." she pants in pain, "I hate you." __She says." Rifel raises an eyebrow._

"_What?" he asks._

"_I HATE YOU!" Will screams as she had never done. She had never felt such a strong feeling, it was like fire burning inside her which invaded every single cell of her body._

_She looks straight in her master's eyes and repeat her words once again,"I HATE YOU! __YOU BASTARD! I WISH YOU CAN BURN AS I'M DOING RIGHT NOW!"_

_Rifel looks at her without saying a word. __He slowly moves his hand and the rune stops. Will relaxes and remains on the ground. She hasn't even the strenght to raise her gaze._

_She feels the Mage kneeling next to her and she feels his hands turning her face so she can look back at him. __He is smiling._

"_Good girl," he says to her as he watches while she passes out, "now you're ready."_

Will woke up. She sat in the bed and listened to her rapid breathing.

Will looked around her. She was in her room, in Basiliade, and she was wearing the bracelets which symbolized her imprisonment.

She slowly hid her face in her hands. She was shaking. Unlike the other dreams, this dream was vivid in her mind. And it gave no sign of disappearing.

It was a memory.

She began to remember the time she had passed with the black mages. Her silent room suddenly seemed to resonate with echoes of crying and sword's clashing, with curses and laments.

She had been one of them.

Rifel had carved in her the law of hatred. He had ordered her to fight, and she had fought. He had ordered her to kill.

And she had killed.

She had never hesitated.

She had never stop to look at the men she had killed, she thought it was useless, but now she knew that she was lying to herself.

The truth was that she was scared to look in their eyes frozen by death. She had avoided theis lifeless eyes that followed her as she walked in hollowness.

Her heart began to pound in her chest. When she had had for the first time blood on her hands the smell had violently shocked her and disgusted her.

But with time she had learned to link that smell with the presence of a casualty to eliminate.

Rifel often smiled, and Will knew that his smile was fake, all the time. But when he had saw her for the first time covered with her own victims' blood the Mage had allowed a true smile to curve his lips. It had been the only time.

Will shivered. She was cold, really cold. She was shaking. In her old quarters it was very cold, but she didn't care. Having cold inside or outside didn't make any difference.

She didn't care if her days were all the same, if she had to fight or kill. When she fought she could take all her anger and pain out, and it didn't matter if the man in front of her had no fault.

Blood is blood.

Will stared at her hands. They were obviously cleaned. But they shouldn't have. Those were a killer's hands.

She shouldn't have been there in that bed, sleeping pacefully. She should have been dead, burned among those Flames which had spared her.

Will hugged her arms. She didn't feel worthy of that place where the sun would have been risen soon. Her world was made of darkness and blood, of muffled sounds and elusive scents.

She tightened her grip and her nails dug in her flesh. Will felt pain crossing her and smiled. Yes, she didn't deserve any forgiveness.

Only pain.

Himerish woke up in the night. He knew what had woken him up. He could clearly feel in his mind Will's bracelets' alarm, they were active again and that could only mean three things: that Will was trying to run away, that she was using her power to destroy someone or something, or that she was trying to hurt herself.

And since except for them they were alone in the house and he was hearing no sound of destruction, he could conclude only that Will was harming herself.

She had never done it before. Himerish's heart sped up at that thought. Why in the middle of the night and all of a sudden?

He quicky headed toward Will's room and opened the door without knocking. But he remained frozen in the spot when he saw what was happening.

Blood on her arms, her shoulders and Will's back were covered in blood. Her clothes, normally white, were now red because of the fresh blood. Her blood.

"Will!" he screamed and ran toward her, "What happened?"

"You shouldn't be here."

Himerish stopped. Will's voice was low, hollow, dangerous. He looks into her eyes and saw only pain. She was shattered.

Will spoke again, always keeping her eyes locked on him:

"You should leave me alone, warrior, if you don't want to die." She told him.

Himerish stiffened. She was threatening him, and she wasn't joking.

"What happened?" he repeated calmly.

"None of your business," She hissed, hugging her arms and sticking her nails into her flesh. And Himerish realised what she was doing.

"Will, stop hurting yourself!" he commanded.

"WHO ARE YOU TO TELL ME WHAT SHOULD I DO?" she suddenly roared and charged him. Himerish and Will rolled on the floor, the warrior was trying to stop that inexplicable wave of fury and the girl trying to reach the man's vital points. Her blacelets were shinning madly.

Will was strong. She had never been so violent, neither when Himerish had fought against her the first times. The girl kept on attacking, heedless of the fact that her wounds were bleeding and that the bracelets were draining her strenghts. Himerish couldn't understand what could have caused that crisis, but he had some suspects about the dreams that were haunting her. He managed to kick her with a torsion and to send her away. Will was about to stand up, but her bleeding hands failed to support her weight and she fell on the floor with a suffering lament.

Himerish was immediately next to her. He grabbed her firmly and hugged her to himself, trying to not touch the points where she was wounded. Will began to wriggle and to hit him.

"LET ME GO!" she yelled with broken voice.

"No, Will," he replied, "I can't. But you have to stop hurting yourself... please, please stop."

Will kept on struggling to free herself, and Himerish kept on holding her tightly, trying to calm her.

"LET ME GO, WHY ARE YOU STOPPING ME?"

He felt every single cell of Will's body trembling with pain and strain. He hugged her tighter.

And after what seemed an infinite time, Will moves began less furious and less violent. Will's screams stopped and slowly turned in sobs. She cried for a long time without thinking, she wept her fear and because Himerish's grip was strong and warm, while she felt so cold and broken. The bracelets had stop glowing.

In the end Will's crying became silent and tearless. Himerish cautiously let her go but she didn't move. Then he scooped her up and put her gently on the bed stained with blood.

"It's all right, Will." He told him.

Will looked at him and said,"It... it hurts."

"Where?" Himerish gently asked her.

"Everywhere."

The warrior turned her slowly and cut off her shirt. Her shoulder and arms were deeply scratched and bled profusely, all her back was a mosaic of wounds. Himerish healed the cut one by one and took his time to give Will time to relax. When he was finally finished he covered her with a stained blanket and kneeled to be at her same level.

"Better now?" he asked her. Will lowered her gaze.

"Yes." She replied. After a while Will spoke again in a very low tone:

"I dreamt... I dreamt of _him._" She said. Himerish brushed her hair:

"Dreams are not real, Will." The warrior whispered, wishing with all his being to do something to alleviate the suffering that haunted Will.

"It was a memory." She continued weakly, "He taught me that hatred is everything." She tiredly closed her eyes as if she wanted to sleep.

"Rifel was only... weak, in a way." Himerish then said. "All that power just kept and not used. Power for its own sake it's meaningless. Things are worthy of their name only when they have a purpose... a role. All that force, only to possess it, all that knowledge... shared with on one... it was all an illusion dead with him.

You have a great power child" he continued, "don't let negative thoughts to corrupt it. Use your power to stop misery, not to cause it. You have a big heart, Will, don't forget this."

The girl opened her eyes. In her gaze there was a big incertitude, a great fear in relying again to someone, "But if I trust someone... it will hurt more and more when I'll be betrayed again." She said while a lonely tear fell on her cheek. He wiped it away.

"The others won't betray you. They love you. But sometimes we are not as strong as we should be. Sometimes we fall and we let her feelings and fears to overcome us. It can happen. But if this will happen, child," Himerish bent over her and gently put his lips on her forehead. He felt Will stiffening

but she didn't move away, "then you must be strong for them too." And after having said that he smiled to her.

"Goodnight Will." He went out off the room.

Will closed her eyes. She thought that she would have not slept again that night, but she was wrong. A paceful slumber gently took her, a slumber without dreams. Maybe Himerish was right, maybe she could really start a new life...

* * *

From that night, things began to change. Now Will was feeling a lot better. The nightmares slowly disappeared. Now she smiled often and she was olso more open to the warriors who taught her. Will applied and improved more and more in Healing Magic. The fighting sessions with Himerish were now much more relaxed.

Sometimes Orube came to see them. She stayed with them for days and occasionally helped Will with her training.

But Will never asked about the girls. She didn't dare because she feared the answer. And Orube had never told her anything.

One day Himerish and Will were both in the dojo. They were putting away the equipment they had used to train when Orube rushed into the room with a worried expression.

"Orube what's going on?" Himerish asked her, noticinig her face, "Has something happened?" Orube nodded.

"Sir, two students at the fighting academy want to fight. They want to do a deadly duel. It looks that they want to establish who's the strongest between them." She explained.

"Can't you stop them?"

"We can't, Sir. The teacher sent me here hoping that your words could lead them again on a reasonable path."

The warrior nodded thoughtfully. He glanced at Will:

"Apparently I have to leave." He told her, "Do you think that you can stay here alone?" he asked her.

"I think I can." Will made a little smile. He had never left her alone in the house.

"Then it's settled. I will be back as soon as possible. Orube, show me the way."

Himerish and Orube left. The both mounted on their flaming horses and quickly headed for the fighting academy.

It was the first time that he left Will alone in the house, but Himerish wasn't worried. Will was still a little close, but he had noticed her change: her cold tone had disappeared and her anger as well. Will was slowly returned at her old self.

Orube suddenly decelerated and Himerish did the same.

"I beg your pardon, Sir." She suddenly said. Whatever she did, however, she didn't seem very repentant.

"About what?" A perplexed Himerish asked.

"I lied." The young warrior smiled: "they forced me to do so."

Himerish suddenly realized. He shot at her a piercing look and then asked her, "No one is killing anyone at the academy."

"No."

"Nobody is in danger."

"Nobody."

Himerish looked at the sky. What a beautiful day. He smiled, "Let's take a walk, then."

* * *

Meanwhile, Will was alone in her room. She was reading when she heard a weak noise in the house.

"The house should be empty." Will told herself, "What's this noise?"

She sharpened her senses and the noise turned into voices.

"Where could she be?" a voice asked.

"She can't go outside. She must be here somewhere." Another voice said.

"What if he took her with him?"

"All that time wasted."

"Oh noo! After all those hours spent in finding a credible excuse!"

"What a great effort for your brain, Irma."

"Well, at least _I_ have a brain. Where's yours? Lost in the blonde forest?"

"C'mon drop it! What if she hears us?"

"Too late." Will said.

She had instantly recognized them. And now she was there, only a few metres separated them, watching those who had been her closest friends. Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, Hay Lin. The four girls stopped and looked at her without saying a word. Cornelia was the first to recover.

"Will, we..." she started, but Will interrupted her.

"Not here." She cut off, "Let's go in another room. This corridor is a bit tight."

She began to walk to led them to the dojo, but apparently the girls had another idea in mind. Will suddenly felt that something ran over her and she had to clutch to the wall to not fall.

"What...!" she exclaimed. At first she thought that they were attacking her, but then she saw that Hay Lin was hugging her. She was crying like a child. One after the other the girl threw at Will and made her fall.

"WILL!" they cried all together.

"We're so sorry! We've been total idiots!"

"We left you alone!"

"We thought that you were a liar..."

"We're so sorry... so sorry..."

"ENOUGH!" Will yelled. The girl stopped her babbling and stared at her. Will saw their widened eyes, and she saw pure regret in them. She saw their tears wetting their clothes and couldn't hold herself anymore.

Will burst into tears and began to yell among the sobs.

"Can... CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW BAD IT HAD BEEN FO ME? What I felt when ALL of you turned their back to me? How is to be alone? Can you imagine how many damn times I thought to come back to hurt you and to make you suffer? Do you know that sometimes I HATED you? She stopped, but the girls remained silent so she continued.

"I wanted... I wanted to remove you from my life! I wanted that Kandrakar burned in hell. I ALMOST KILLED YOU! And now how could you stay here and say that... that it's your fault..." the sobs became too strong, but this time the others replied to her.

"We know what you did." Cornelia said. "We know that very well. We fought against you. Not directly, of course, but your intentions were clear enough. There's no need to remind it to us."

"But then why are you here?" Will asked. She couldn't understand. If they truly knew what she had done, then why they weren't accusing her? Why instead of hugging her, they were not hitting or cursing her?

"Will, you are our friend." Irma said, looking straight into her eyes, "And we had forgotten that. If we had acted like true friends from the very beginning, all of this would never have happened."

"It's not the same thing!" Will retorted, "I tried to kill you! And Elyon! And Caleb! And Taranee!"

Taranee shook her head:

"But you didn't. This is what counts for us. And now stop hiding behind your faults. Elyon and Caleb are alive after the fight, but I'm positive that if you truly had wanted to kill them you would have done it. You simply wanted them to be out of your way."

Will couldn't believe their words. They were... forgiving her? After all she had done? She stood up and leaned her forehead on the wall in front of her.

"Let's start again, Will..." Hay Lin genlty told her, "let's stay together this time. You are not like Nerissa. You're Will. And we don't want to lose you."

The redhead sighed. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and even if she wasn't looking at them she could almost feel their determined expressions.

"Really?" She asked. Irma shook her head in disbelief.

"I can't believe my ears." She said. She gave Will a slap on her head.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"For having posed the stupidest question of your whole life."

Will turned. She looked at them, all of them, and in the end she smiled weakly.

"Oh! Finally!" the four Guardians said. They laughed. It was a laugh of joy, but even of sadness. They had all dome a terrible mistake, and their errors had caused an endless pain to many. But now they were together again and ready to start again. They were W.I.T.C.H. again.

The heart's wounds might have closed, but they would have stayed there. Sometimes a mistake demands a price to pay that lasts for the whole life.

But that wasn't important for now. Whatever the future held, this time they would have stayed together.

Will shook her head to clear her mind and asked them:

"How did you arrive here?" the others smiled.

"Orube helped us." Hay Lin answered, "Each time we asked about you, Kandrakar gave us the same answer, that you weren't ready. But after having received the same answer countless times, we decided that ready or not we would have come to see you anyway."

"We persuaded Orube to think about an excuse to send Himerish away," Taranee continued, "we weren't sure if he'd have let us to see you."

"And so here we are!" Irma finished.

Will looked at Cornelia, who kept on glancing at her in silence. Will knew that she was the most wounded one when it came to her pride.

"I'm sorry for what I've done to you. Really." She told her. Cornelia gave her a look of defiance, but then she smiled and held out her hand. Will shook it.

"It's not over for you yet, Will." Taranee said, "There's still someone else who wants to see you."

The girls turned toward her. Taranee said her to go and see outside.

Will headed for the garden, her heart pounding in her chest. And once at the doorway she stopped, looking into the eyes of the person she had wanted and hated the most so far.

"Matt..." she whispered under her breath.

* * *

**And here is the reason because I didn't mentioned Will's rune after her Trial. It vanished with Rifel.**

**The thingh that Rifel did in this chapter with his power turned in violet nails is his special attack. Just as sadistic as he is xD.**

**It was a bit difficult to me to find a good way to desribe the girls' reunion. But I think that I'm not done with them yet.**

**See you next time: **_**The Nightmare.**_


	20. The nightmare

**I don't own W.I.T.I.C.H**

**Chapter beta-ed by XVDragon**

* * *

**20. The nightmare**

'_I can almost touch you.'_

* * *

"...Matt?" Will whispered. She couldn't believe her eyes. The boy she had loved and who had abandoned her was now in front of her.

Mat didn't move. He only looked at her. She quickly recovered from the surprise and asked in a neutral tone: "Why are you here, Matt?"

But Matt didn't answer her question. Instead he started to tell her a story: "Did you know, Will, that I was chosen by Kandrakar at the age of six to become a defender of the Fortress?" he asked her. The girl shook her head.

"... I didn't. How could I? You've neve..." but the boy interrupted her.

"...yeah. I've never told you." He concluded for her. He had a weird look, as if he was trying to prevent his feelings to explode all at once. He shook his head sadly and continued his story.

"Yes. I had been chosen to become a Kandrakar's warrior. Just as you girls have been chosen to become Guardians. I didn't know anything about magic, about a strange Fortress in the center of the Infinity, or about Sages in white dresses who meditate to maintain the worlds' balance."

The Oracle told me that my heart was strong and pure, and that I would have been trained to defend my planet, my home, and Kandrakar. My parents too were informed. I was just a kid, Will, I just wanted to protect my mum from bad monsters. And now that I knew for sure that monsters and magic existed I wanted to become a strong warrior to protect the people I loved. So I accepted."

"I trained for all my life. I had many teachers who had taught me how to fight and how to use magic and, obviously, the Oracle was teaching me to, by telling me a lot of stories. He told me about the Guardians of the Fortress, five girls born just like me, to protect the Light. And he told me that I should have helped them when the right time would have come. I should have been a mentor to them.

This duty filled me with pride. And when for the first time the Oracle told me that the new Guardians had been chosen I was hardly holding my joy. I wanted to meet you as soon as possible."

Matt paused to ask if he had to go on or not. Will helped to him.

"Go on. What happened next?" she asked. Matt nodded.

"I've met you for the first time. Still insecure, still not the team you are now. But above all I met _you_, Will. I..." and for the first time he stuttered, not knowing how to go on. Matt cleared his throat and continued.

"I... I liked you, Will. I started to care for you. Really. All my plans about being a warrior and a leader vanished like ice in the sun. I didn't tell you about me because... I feared that you might think that I was staying with you only because of my duty."

Will raised an eyebrow. Matt could easily guess what she was thinking at that moment, he hadn't behaved in that way recently.

"The truth is that I understimated you, Will." He suddenly told her. "I thought that once we had told each other our secrets, as it had been, we could mantain both our roles and our relationship. But the truth is that in the end I returned to be only a warrior. You were already mine, you were with me, although you knew that I was from kandrakar. And this blinded me. You needed me and I let you go. I allowed my pride to dominate me and now I've lost you. I beg your pardon with all myself, Will. I'm begging you, but I'm ready to accept if you won't want me anymore. Because I deserved that. But please, just allow me to stay close to you, and to protect you as I should have done before. Please, Will, forgive me!" he ended his speech by taking a step in her direction. He saw that Will was still silent, so he tried to approach her. But then Will raised a hand to stop him.

Her eyes didn't express hatred. Her face was unreadable. And when she spoke her voice was slightly trembling:

"Stop." She told him. "Don't come any further." Matt stopped and lowered his head, smiled bitterly. He would have expected this, after all he should have imagined that she would have rejected him. But when Will continued to talk Matt was taken aback and returned to look at her:

"Not so fast..." she said. "Not all at once. I'd like that you'd come to me... one step at time. Because I want to see you. Because I want to be free to stop you at anytime. Mat I... missed you..." her voice cracked, "but I can't forget what have you done to me. And I don't know yet if it's because I need time or it's because I can't forgive you. You can stay Matt, but don't expect anything. Not after what happened. I still don't have an answer to what will become of us."

Matt couldn't believe his ears. He didn't expect that she could actually want him back. He thought that she would have yelled at him and kicked him away. But no, he could stay. They were not a couple anymore, but he could keep on protecting her, because he loved her with all himself. The important thing was that she was okay.

He could stay with her, but he couldn't touch her, hug her, kiss her anymore. This made him mad, but was the price for his stupidity. A price that he had to now pay. He didn't care if he had to love her silently for the rest of his life.

The boy nodded and tried to smile. Will looked away, but a tiny smile fluttered on her lips. This gave Matt a little hope. Who knows. Maybe…

"You should… go now." Will told him dragging him away from his thoughts. Matt wanted to say something but he gave up and only nodded. He turned and left. Will watched him until he desappeared at her sight, then she sat near the doorstep.

She should have hated him. But she couldn't. He had made her suffer, but she had understood that Matt was really sorry for that.

Even if she couldn't hate him she couldn't even totally forgive him. Maybe they would neve have been back together, maybe they would have been able to mantain a glimpse of frienship. This was enough for her now. She couldn't give more.

She heard the girls joining her. They sat and stayed with her all the day. And when they left in the evening, before Himerish's return, Will realized that she was finally had hope.

* * *

_Will wakes up. She looks around her and the vague outlines of her room in Basiliade slowly took form in the dark. It's still dark outside._

_She wonders why she's awake. The silence is almost total in her room, no noise to wake her up. Her breath thickens in little clouds in front of her._

_It's the cold that had awakened her._

_A strong cold it's in her room__, Will notices that she's shivering. She sits, but the window is closed._

_A sudden noise makes her turn. But may__be she imagined it because the room is dark and empty._

_Or maybe not._

_Maybe it's just her imagination. Maybe she's only tired. But to Will the darkness in front of her looks like it's breathing, it expands and shrinks at her heart's same rythm._

_When she was little she was scared of the boogieman. She woke up in the middle of the night and she called for her mum, crying. And Susan turned on the lights, smiled at her and pointed at an empty corner._

"_You see?" she said, "There's no boogieman. Go back to sleep, darling." She gave Will a kiss and turned off the lights. And Will returned to sleep, reassured by her mum's words, even if a small part of her could have sworn she had seen something moving in the dark..._

"_There's no boogieman." Will whispered to the room. It can be stupid, but her voice is shaking a little when she says those words… why she is so scared…_

_It should be nothing front of her, but the darkness looks so dense to be almost solid. Will watches it, she's sure it's her imagination because she thinks that she's seeing thing in the dark now._

_Or maybe not. The darkness slowly took the form of a definite figure._

_It looks like smoke. It'a tall and thin figure confused in the shadows, but it's always there. Its skeletal body is wrapped in a deep black._

_And all of a sudden it's there, in the middle of the room. She can see it as if it always had been there. It has__ the skin gray as the ashes, a sunken face and its white hair fall on its face as silver threads. Its hands are long and scrawny like skeletal claws. Its eyes' sclera is black, but the pupil is white. White and still, fixed on Will._

_Will doesn't know what to think. The clouds in front of her face are gone and this indicates her that she had forgotten to breathe. She starts again to breath and scared rattle fills the room. That thing is watching her. It fills her with fear, she can't move or think._

_The thing suddenly moves. Like a smoky snake it approches her, first by elongating abruptly its head and neck, then its body. It moves near the bed really close to Will._

_It extends a skeletal hand toward her, as if it wanted to grab her. His white eyes nail those of Will, who can't take her eyes off that nightmare._

_Will is cold, really cold. She's scared. It's like a chill which pieces her heart._

_She starts to shake violently, she would want to scream, but her voice is gone. The thing is closer and closer. It looks like it desperately wants to reach her._

_Will starts to give up. She's tired of shaking, the cold is too strong. She sighs and falls back on her pillows, she can't resist anymore. The thing moves closer._

_It bends over her. Will can't clearly think, but she thinks to have seen the shadow of a smile on that skeletal face._

_Her heart is pounding in her chest._

_The things grazes her with its fingers._

_Will begins to scream._

* * *

Himerish woke up. Will's bracelets were active. The warrior rushed in her room fearing a danger or another crisis, even if in the last times Will seemed to be back to her old self.

But when he entered the room he saw nothing except for Will. Nobody was there, the girl was sitting on the bed and was shaking, but there was nothing strange.

Himerish feared that she had hurted herself another time so he went closer. Will was pale and covered in cold sweat, she was shaking badly and was sobbing. Himerish didn't see any wound. Perplexed and worried, he asked her:

"Will, are you okay? What happened?"

But she didn't reply. She was like in a trance. She was staring at a point in front of her with hollow eyes. The warrior grabbed her with force and started to shake her.

"Will! Wake up!" he ordered. Will came to her senses and noticed Himerish. After she had seen him her behaviour completely changed: her tears stopped and she suddenly calmed down. Will threw herself against him to seek comfort. Himerish winced, Will was freezing. He covered her with the blanket and kept her next to him. Will was now calm, but she was still a little dizzy.

"What happened?" Himerish asked while he checked on her to see if she was okay. She shook her head.

"D-dream..." she said shakily. She shook her head again to clear her mind: "A dream." She repeated, this time with more convinction.

"What did you dream?" Himerish asked. Will remained silent to think, but then she replied with a shrug.

"Can't remember."

"Why were you crying?" Himerish asked. He was beginning to become a little anxious.

"I..." the girl started, "I was scared. It's the only thing I remember. And I was cold. I've never been so scared in my whole life."

Himerish frowned, "Dreams can't hurt you. You have nothing to fear. You're not alone and we will always be here for you. You know this, right?"

Will nodded, "Yes..." she whispered. She lay again on her pillow. "I think I'll go back to sleep. I'm sorry if I woke you up." There was no more trace of her previous fear.

He nodded, "Goodnight then."

He went out of the room but instead of going back in his room he headed for his studio where he took a little scroll. He wrote on it a short message and opened the window. He called a young falcon and tied the message at its leg. Himerish watched the falcon flying in the starry sky.

He knew that her nightmares were normal, a way for Will's mind to face all the terrible things she had seen and done, a way for her to take all her repressed feelings out.

And yet it was so strange. Why Will's bracelets had activated for a simple dream? Will had a lot of nightmares, but the chains had activated only when she had wounded herself.

Himerish was confused. Maybe the next day would have brought him clarity.

* * *

The next day Endarno came to visit.

"Himerish. I'm glad to see you." Endarno said. "Did you want to see me?"

"Yes," the other replied, "I wanted to talk about Will."

"As you wish. Where is she now?"

"She's with Orube. They're training together."

"I see." Endarno sat and glanced at his friend, "tell me everything." A message in the middle of the night couldn't bring anything good.

"I had already told you about Will's nightmares," Himerish began to explain, "I'd told you that they had stopped, but now they're back." Endarno looked at him.

"Is this that is worrying you? Couldn't it be a simple relapse?"

"Maybe. Perhaps she's going to have nightmares for all her life. Likely." He frowned. "But the bracelets turned on last time even if she wasn't in danger."

"Do you fear that these dreams could be a threat for her mental sanity?" Endarno asked seriously.

"I don't know." Himerish replied, "I don't know what to think. Will isn't giving any sign of insanity or stress, not anymore, but it's like these dreams slowly drained her. And the morning after she always forgets everything, she can't remember them... it's like she'd never had them."

"So we can't actually know how much these dreams are dangerous."

"Exactly."

"And what do you suggest? You want to block her memory?" Endarno asked. It was a slow and difficult procedure, but not impossible.

Himerish said, "It's all so complicated."

His friend looked at him thoughtfully, "Let's try to focus on the situation. First, explain: how did all start? It was Rifel who contacted her first, right? And she followed him."

"Yes," Himerish continued, "she followed him because she thought she had lost everything. That she was alone. After that everyone had turned their back to her because they thought she had..."

He stopped speaking. A sudden thought crossed his mind. Himerish wondered why he had not realized that before.

"That's it!" he exclaimed, "the Shapeshifter!"

"The thief that impersonated Will? What do you mean?" Endarno asked.

"It's because of him if everything started. That being arrived at Kandrakar with Will's appearance and tried to steal the Aurameres. But isn't this strange?"

"Explain yourself."

"Why, among all the Guardians, Will? Why not choosing Hay Lin, who's Yan Lin granddaughter? It would have been less suspicious to see her walking through Kandrakar's halls. And however, a Guardian who roams alone for the Fortress is strange, the Guardians always have a purpose when they go there. Nobody has ever been there for a simple walk. Wouldn't have been simpler for him to transform into one of the Sages? They are many and free to move in the Fortress without hiding."

"You're right. It's strange." Endarno agreed with a slow nod. It was true, why bother turning into Will? Why taking such a risk?

"And there's another thing" Endarno suddenly said, "how did the Shapeshifter arrive at Kandrakar? It should be impossible."

Himerish looked at his friend. It should have been impossible. Yet a petty thief had been able to get to the Aurameres' room. It couldn't be. No, it was preposterous.

"Why nobody ever asked this?" Himerish muttered.

"Was the Shapeshifter's mind examinated?"

"Yes, it was. They found nothing useful." Himerish narrowed his eyes, "But to think of it, it can't be. Not finding anything means finding nothing, not even an explanation or a credible reason which explains how he could get to Kandrakar. Something had to be there."

"But the most questionable thing..." Endarno began.

"…It's that Kandrakar didn't investigate further." Himerish concluded. "Yan Lin was meant to discover how a thief had infiltrated the Fortress, but she didn't do anything. No one of us had done that."

"Where is this Shapeshifter kept?" Endarno asked.

"Here in Basiliade. It's the last place where he tried to steal."

"Let's pay him a visit then."

* * *

They left Will with Orube, but they hadn't told them the true reason of their trip. They didn't know too what were they looking for, they were following only a weak track that could end in nothing. But they had to try anyway.

They arrived at Basiliade's prison. The guard at the entrance immediately recognized them and let them pass. Himerish and Endarno silently waited for the guards' Captain.

"Greetings, honourable warriors." An old man said, "My name's Roth and I'm the headman here. How can I help you?" he asked bowing toward them.

"We're here to see a prisoner." Endarno said. "It's a Shapeshifter accused of having stolen from various planets and of having infiltrated Kandrakar." Roth nodded and grinned.

"Yeah. We know him very well here. It's innocuous. He doesn't give us any problem, even if he keeps on transforming into young naked girls to persuade us to release him. Without result, I have to say."

The warriors glanced at each other.

"Bring us to him." Himerish said.

They were led in front of a little sober cell. The Shapeshifter they were looking for was there, separated from them only by a wall of magic.

"Okra didn't do anything..." the creature complained with squeaky voice, "Okra is weak, I wants only to survive!"

"Your name is Okra, then?" Himerish asked as he approached the magical wall. The Shapeshifter raised his head and let out a scared shriek.

"You are the one who caught Okra! You are here! What do you want from Okra?" he started to babble.

"Only to talk." The warrior replied calmly. Endarno, running out of patience, took a step forward:

"It's better if you cooperate. If you don't, you could remain here for a long time." Okra started to whimper.

"It's all right." Himerish quikly reassured him, "If you help us we can try to let you out of here." The Shapeshifter looked at him with teary eyes.

"Is this deal?" he asked. The warrior nodded.

"Deal."

Okra nodded and sighed, "What do you want to know?"

"We'd want to know how did you arrived at the Fortress." Himerish asked. He replied with a shrug:

"You already asked first time. I wanted to steal something big and thought about that while traveling, and so I was in white fortress. With big powers inside."

"But something like this is not possible. Kandrakar can't be reached in that way." Endarno said. Okra shook his head.

"I did so!" he repeated. "I never says lies!"

About that the warriors couldn't be so sure. But now Okra looked sincere, even if what he was saying was impossible.

"How did you know what to turn into to steal the Aurameres? Did you spy on Will?" Himerish asked.

Okra stared vacuosly at him for an instant and then he shook again his head, "No, I wanted to turn in something good for white fortress. And face of girl with red hair popped out, and I knew her name and her house."

A frustrated Endarno interrupted him: "But a Shapeshifer's power doesn't work like that. They have to see at least once the thing or the person they want to turn into. Right?"

Okra nodded before speaking again. "It works like that, yes. But maybe I had fluke that day." He added with a careless shrug.

"No! It doesn't work like that! You can't simply have a _fluke_!" Endarno exclaimed. He was a little exasperated.

"Okra we have to read your mind." Himerish then said. "To understand once for all."

"But you already did that!" Okra protested.

"We'd like to do it again."

Himerish entered the cell and put his hands on the Shapeshifter's temples. He concentrated carefully and Okra's thoughts started to flow in his mind.

He saw Okra traveling across the worlds. Yes, he had that ability, but he couldn't reach kandrakar with it. He saw him materializing in an empty room of the Fortress and turning into Will. He saw him heading for the Aurameres' room guided by his nose. He saw him stealing the power and being defeated by Yan Lin. And In the end he saw him running away in Heaterfield and putting fake memories into Will's mind and desappearing.

He took off his hands. He was perplexed and frustrated. Everything looked so logical in Okra's head, and the more he thought about that, the more Okra's words became convincing. But it was absurd, he fept on saying to himself, it was absurd...

He thought about Will's nightmares. He saw her crying. He saw her hurting herself. He had fought against her and thank to him she was slowly returning herself. There was really nothing right in that story, there was nothing fair in what had happened to Will.

"No." He suddenly said. "Let me see another time."

He put his hands on Okra again. Again he entered his mind, but he didn't look at his memories. He started to pose some questions, "How did you get to Kandrakar?" he asked again. He felt the Shapeshifter moving under him.

"I arrived there." It was a wasted answer.

Himerish's heart fastened. Okra's mind agreed with his words. The mind was meekly following that idea, without changing it, without thinking twice.

"How did you turn into Will?" another question.

"I turned into her by accident." Another reply. Okra's mind agreed.

"Don't you think it's strange?" Himerish ther asked him. "I mean, you're a Shapeshifter, you should know your power. Do you remember what did you think when you turned for the first time into a person you had never seen?"

"I... didn't thought about anything. I wanted to steal magic."

There! Short, short and weak, Okra's mind rebelled for an instant, like a muscle that contracts for the effort. Okra's mind was struggling.

"And why when you failed instead of running away you stopped to Will's house to implant her those fake memories? Wasn't simpler to just run away? What were you thinking at that time?" He pressed him.

"I… me doesn't remember." Okra weakly said.

Now his mind was struggling with more force, Himerish could clearly feel it. It was like Okra's mind was fighting against something.

Himerish focused on that feeling. He plunged deeply in the Shapeshifter's thoughts, but he didn't find anything. But he didn't give up, he kept on searching until he found it.

A Seal.

"I… I is hurt, Sir." Okra babbled. Himerish ignored him. He focused on the Seal.

It was a devilish seal. It was conceived to be invisible to everyone and everything unless someone didn't look exactly for a deception. And nobody ever thought about searching something in that poor mind.

The Seal was hard to crash. Okra started to cry and struggle and Endarno rushed to hold him still. Himerish focused and with a last push he broke the spell, which shattered in a thousand pieces in the Shapeshifter's mind.

Okra stopped moving and collapsed against Himerish. He was pale under his blue skin. He was shaking and babbled incoherent words.

"Are you okay?" Endarno asked him. He received no answer.

"Listen to my voice." Himerish ordered. Now that he had the evidence, that something wasn't going to give up so easily. "Why did you go to Kandrakar? How did you get there?" He tried to give some energy to Okra and it worked.

"I was wandering... and suddenly _he_ called Okra. I doesn't know who is he, but I is scared. He asked Okra if I wanted a lot of magic. I says yes, so he gives Okra the power to travel across the barriers. He says that once in the white fortress I can turn into a person only. He says that I is going to know what to do when I arrives at the fortress."

"Who is _he_?" Himerish asked. Now his heart was pounding in his chest. He had a bad feeling.

"He puts his hands on Okra." He continued without replying, "he says that nobody will know how I stole the magic, and that nobody will harm Okra. I believes him."

"What does he want?" Endarno asked.

"He wanted that I stole the magic with girl's appearance. But I doesn't know why." He started to shake more violently and to sweat.

"Who is _he_, Okra!" Himerish raised his tone. And suddenly the Shapeshifter began to scream.

"HE SHOULDN'T BE HERE! HE SHOULDN'T STAY HERE! HE BRINGS CHAOS AND DEATH, THE WORLDS' DOORS ARE LOCKED FOR HIM! HE LIVES IN CHAOS AND BRINGS DESTRUCTION, HE SHOULDN'T STAY HEREEEE!"

His eyes rolled inside his head and Okra remained still. Himerish checked him.

"He's still alive. But not for long." He stated. He gave him a bit of energy to save him, but his hands were shaking so much that he was having trouble in holding them still.

What Okra had said was confusing. He didn't know who was _he_, but it was definetivey nothing go...

Realisation striked Himerish with the strenght of a storm. Himerish staggered and sat, while his heart stopped moving for an instant.

Himerish had been Oracle. He knew the History, and he knew _him_. Chaos and Destruction. They weren't allowed into the worlds governed by Kandrakar and that were under the Elements' control. And ouside of these confines there was only...

"Endarno..." he weakly called for his friend, "we had to go back. Will is in danger!"

* * *

Will yawned and sat on her bed. It was almost evening and Himerish was still out. She thought for an instant to call the girls. Orube could bring them there. How would Himerish react if he found them all together?

A cold shiver interrupted her thoughts. She turned. She didn't know what had led her to turn her head, it was something similar to a forgotten instinct.

She was not alone in the room.

* * *

**Maybe I s****houldn't write in the middle of the night while watching horror movie trailers on Youtube. I'm suggestible.**

**Will/Matt lovers, Will/Matt haters, I'm not done with them. Things can't be totally adjusted or totally screwed up in only a chapter. ****There will be more.**

**Okay I hope you enjoyed the chapter, see you next time with next one: **_**Dreams come true.**_


	21. Dreams come true

**I don't own W.I.T.C.H.**

**Chapter beta-ed by XVDragon.**

* * *

**21. Dreams come true**

Will's world stopped for an instant. The time seemed to freeze as she slowly looked back in her visitor's eyes. With his skeletal face, his white hair and his freezing aura that being was looking at her with empty eyes.

It was like falling into a nightmare. Like dreaming about something terrible and being conscious of the dream, but being incapable of waking up.

But it didn't last long. Will abruptly shook her head and reality crashed on her. She held back a cry of fear and jumped back until she found herself trapped against the wall. She opened her mouth to speak, but she could only babble a few words. She couldn't look away from that monster.

"W…. What the… hell?" her words jammed in her paralyzed throat.

The cold that the creature radiated was incredible. It crept in her bones, it wrapped her in a paralyzing grip; her legs left her and Will collapsed shakily against the wall.

"But… who are you…?" she whispered faintly.

The creature stepped forward and approached her. He didn't answer her, he only stared at Will. He looked like he wished to pierce Will with his gaze, as if he wanted to reach the deepest and the most hidden place in the girl's soul.

At every step of the monster Will felt like she was being crushed by his presence. Her breath began to become strained and a thin veil of cold sweat covered her and made her shiver. Will blinked a couple of times because her sight was becoming blurred and she didn't want to lose sight of the thing in front of her.

But she was losing her energies. Every glimpse of power, every thought of hers, it was as if she was being robbed of them. Will leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, focusing the desperate sound of her heartbeat. She didn't want to look again at that monster… she couldn't. She was too scared and she didn't know why.

She felt the cold growing stronger. Dread overcame her and she began to shake not only for the cold, but with fear too. She felt that thing closer and closer, she was positive that if he had touched her it would have been the end for her life, that creature would have instantly destroyed her. She held back a sob. She didn't want to die crying like a coward.

She waited for the monster to grab her, but nothing happened. Instead she heard a loud and deafening noise. Will opened her eyes and saw that her bed had been literally thrown against the monster, which was now hidden by a cloud of dust.

"Will!" Orube screamed, "Get away from there!"

Will stood up. She felt her legs like jelly. She approached Orube and the two girls ran together toward the door, but the door suddenly closed with a slam, trapping them inside the room. Orube and Will turned back and saw that the monster was still standing and was apparently unharmed by Orube's attack.

"It looks like he doesn't want us to leave." Orube commented. She put herself before Will in a protective manner, ready to fight. "I came to tell you that dinner was ready, but apparently we have an unexpected guest." The creature grinned at her words.

"What… what is it?" Will asked. Orube shook her head, and Will noticed that Orube was as scared as her.

"I don't know," she whispered back to Will, "I've never seen something like this."

The young warrior bravely lunged at the monster and tried to hit him with her punch. The creature didn't try to dodge; he remained still and stopped Orube's punch by trapping it into his skeletal hand.

"What?" Orube exclaimed. Her opponent hissed and tightened his grip. The bones of Orube's hand shattered with a sinister crunch. Orube's cries tore the air and she fell on her knees, but she was thrown away against a wall by a violent force before she could touch the floor. Orube hit the stone, fell and remained still.

"ORUBE!" Will cried anxiously. She felt a strong anger rising inside her and taking place of the fear. She turned furiously toward the monster and screamed, "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"

Her bracelets, which until that moment had continued to glow, became even more luminous as Will summoned her power. The girl threw herself against him and tried to hit him, but she was rejected by an invisible force. Will rolled on the ground at her opponent's feet. She stood up immediately and attacked again. But this time she focused all her power in a single place, her kick, to try to hit him.

It worked. Will hit him and her power crashed against the monster with a deafening roar. Will was almost hurled by the released energy, but she managed to maintain her balance.

She tried to see how much damage she had caused. She had never done such a powerful blow, so much energy in a single point strongly slowed her, but as her opponent had never tried to dodge their attacks she had decided to hit. But the thing in front of her was unharmed again. She was horrified. There was no sign of her attack on that skeletal face, no wound, nothing. Will swallowed hard. Her attack had failed.

"_What a troublesome child."_

Her legs gave up and Will fell again on the floor. That thing had spoken to her! His voice was even worse than the cold that he radiated. Will let out an inarticulate sound, she was paralyzed by that infernal presence.

The monster approached Will and bent over her. Will decided to fight until the end and she laboriously stood up in an act of despair. She summoned all the power left in her and began to hit the monster with her reddish charges. He let her hit him, but after a while he waved his hand and her power abruptly vanished. Another movement from him and Will found herself trapped against the wall by a huge force.

He approached her again. He was so close that the cold was almost unbearable. The creature reached out and leaned his hand on Will's cheek, gently. The girl wondered for an instant why he hadn't kill her, but then every thought was cancelled by the feeling of his hand on her face. So cold and yet so… burning. So… crackling with power ready to explode… just as she usually felt when she summoned her energy. Will was overwhelmed by the intensity of that feeling, her eyes rolled inside her head and she passed out.

The creature was about to grab Will, but her skeletal hands never touched the unconscious girl.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Himerish suddenly yelled. The two warriors had arrived in time.

The monster stopped, but not for personal choice. To stop him was mostly an energy blow shot by Endarno that hit the monster fully in his back.

Endarno took advantage of that and bravely took Will to bring her away from the danger. He reached Orube and summoned an energy barrier to defend them. After having checked if Will was okay the older warrior began to heal Orube, who had two broken ribs that threatened to pierce her lungs.

Himerish unsheathed his sword and lunged at the monster with all his strength. The creature stopped the blade with his arm without showing any sign of fear. The blade clashed against his apparently invulnerable skin.

Himerish gritted his teeth. He knew he didn't have a chance to win against him, but he wanted to give Endarno the time to take the girls away. He forced himself to look into his opponent's hollow eyes.

"You actions are unforgivable, _Thanathos!_" he exclaimed. The creature called Thanathos grabbed the warrior's blade and trapped it.

"_A child should stay with her father."_ He hissed as he changed his free arm into a long blade of bone.

"She's not your da...AAARGH!" Himerish cried when the bone blade stabbed his flesh. The blood started to flow at their feet and Himerish's sight began to be fuzzy and blurred.

"_You have no hope against me, and you know this. Why do you fight?"_ Thanathos asked Himerish.

"You shouldn't be here…" Himerish bravely continued, "You'll never have her. She doesn't belong to you."

Thanathos hissed and a dark cocoon of energy wrapped Himerish. The power hit him violently and crushed his bones and organs. Himerish let out an agonizing cry as he felt her head bursting with pain.

"_You're nothing but dust," _Thanathos snarled, _"but watching your death amuses me. You'll suffer and you'll see me taking away the girl. Then you'll die!"_

Himerish coughed blood. He had to protect Will, he kept on repeating to himself, he had to, no matter what… another strong blow interrupted his thoughts and filled every single moment of his existence with pain.

"HIMERISH!" Endarno yelled. He was about to go and help him, but Himerish stopped him.

"DON'T!" he managed to say as his blood slowly ran down his lips and torso, "D-don't… you must… take them away!"

Endarno then tried to teleport to Kandrakar together with the two unconscious girls. Nothing happened. Endarno tried again, but it was as if his teleporting powers were blocked.

"_You won't escape." _Thanathos said. _"Too long I waited, and now I want what is mine."_ He waved his hand with violence and Endarno's barrier shattered. Endarno unsheathed his sword and prepared to fight. But Thanathos raised his hand and the same dark energy which had wrapped Himerish took him as well. Thanathos clenched his fist and his power crushed Endarno, who fell on the ground with a strangled cry.

* * *

Will regained consciousness. She felt weak and dizzy; she didn't remember immediately the reason why she had fainted.

And then she remembered. She looked around her feverishly and a horrible scene came to her eyes.

There was Orube next to her, pale and unconscious, but she seemed to be okay. But a few meters far from them Endarno lay in a pool of blood, unmoving. The room had been destroyed; the air was full with dust and blood. Himerish lay in the middle of the room, wounded. The monster appeared in her room towered over him. One of his limbs was stretched in a long, bloody blade.

Will swallowed. It had to be a nightmare, it could not be real. All that red, that blood, it invaded her senses and clouded her mind. She covered her mouth with her hands, shivering, and whishing with all herself to wake up.

"_Will."_

Will jerked. That monster knew her name. She slowly turned toward him and looked back at his face. The situation was just too much unreal to be true, it was just the umpteenth nightmare and she was finally going crazy. She would have woken up screaming in her bed, but this time she wouldn't have gone back to sleep. She would have stayed awake, she would have used her power, she didn't care. But she didn't want to make another dream like this one, never more.

Will asked Thanathos, "Is this a nightmare?" Even if the answer was obvious.

The monster smiled:_ "It depends on the points of views, child."_ He told her.

The two stared at each other in silence for a while, then Will spoke again, "Are they… dead?" she asked. Both Himerish and Endarno were still on the ground.

"_No."_ Thanathos said to her, _"Not yet. I promised them a slow death. And I always keep my promises."_ Thanathos started to walk toward her but the girl, scared, screamed: "DON'T!"

And he miraculously he stopped. Will was a bit taken aback by the fact that he had listened to her, but curiosity took place of surprise. Speaking with her own nightmare, it was an uncommon thing.

"What are you?" Will asked him. Thanathos opened his arms as to emphasize the obvious,

"_You know me."_

She knew him? How? Will had never seen such a monster. But yet… she had the feeling of knowing him. Like some sort of deja-vu. Maybe she had already dreamt about that being previously.

"Why did you stop?" Will asked. The monster was still unmoving. She saw him grinning.

"_I can come closer, if you want."_ He told her and began to advance again. Will shook his head immediately and Thanathos chuckled and stopped again. _"I can't come closer"_ he began to explain her_, "If you don't want."_

"Why?" Will asked. What a weird dream. Why she should have wanted that thing closer to her?

Himerish moved weakly behind the monster and Will's heart fastened: Himerish was still alive! Thanathos noticed that too, but he choose to ignore him. He stared at Will and answered,

"_It's up to you to choose me."_

"I don't want to choose you." Will immediately said. She didn't want to have anything to do with that thing. She wanted him out of her sight, of her life, of her dreams. She wanted to sleep peacefully and to live with the people she loved. "Go away." She told him. But the monster did not move.

"_We are alike."_ He told her abruptly. _"Maybe you should reconsider your answer."_

"I'm not like you!" Will yelled angrily, "I'm not a monster!"

"_But look at yourself, little one" _Thanathos whispered wickedly, _"You are here, in the middle of an half-destroyed room, and you're speaking with your nightmare as nothing had happened. Not far away from you your friends are dying and you have no eyes but for me, child."_

"NO!" Will protested while hot tears streamed down her face. It was not true, the thought that the two warriors were in danger was almost unbearable…

"_I know your pain."_ Thanathos continued,_ "I can feel it. I can end all your pains and suffering. Let me come, Will, and I will take away from you this endless agony."_

"Don't… don't listen to him, Will…" Himerish suddenly said. He was trying to approach her, but he had lost too much blood. He was so pale.

"Himerish…" Will whispered.

"Don't let him taking you…" he continued. He paused, too exhausted to speak again.

"_If it is your wish, I'll leave."_ Thanathos suddenly said to Will. _"Close your eyes as I keep the promise made to these men."_

"What?" A panicked Will asked.

"_I'll kill them."_ He replied cruelly,_ "And it'll be a slow death."_

Thanathos grabbed Himerish's neck. He kept him nailed on the ground as he pushed his hand against his head.

"_I'll crush your skull."_

Will was about to vomit. He was killing him in front of her. If he kept on pushing like that, he would have killed him effortlessly. Will began to be utterly terrified as she slowly took conscience of the fact that she wasn't dreaming, that it was all real. It was really happening and she had to do something.

"Stop! Please!" Will exclaimed desperately. Thanathos turned his head 180 degrees toward her without turning his body: _"What do you want?"_

"Let them live." Will begged him. Thanathos laughed:

"_I don't take orders from you, child."_ He told her. But Will was still speaking:

"Spare them… and I'll come with you." She said in a whisper.

This stopped Thanathos. He let Himerish go. _"I'm listening."_ He hissed. Will swallowed hard:

"You said… you said that you always keep your promises. Promise me that they will live and that you'll spare them and I will come with you. It's a promise."

Thanathos stared at her for a long time. And then, after what seemed an eternity, he waved his hands. The worst wounds vanished from the warriors' bodies. Himerish and Endarno woke up with a startle but they remained still on the ground, incapable of moving.

Himerish had heard the conversation between Will and Thanathos. Will didn't know what she was doing.

"Will don't go…" he begged her. He saw Will shaking his head. She was crying and she was scared, but she had a determined look on her face. She took a few steps toward them and tried to smile bravely:

"You saved my life." Will said to Endarno and Himerish, "You took me back from the darkness I had fallen. Now it's time to repay you for everything. Thank you, I'll never forget."

Will turned toward Thanathos. He reached out and waited. Will thought about the girls, Matt, her family. A last thought for each one of them.

"Goodbye." She whispered. She took Thanathos' waiting hand. A strong cold suddenly invaded her and took her soul, making her faint. Thanathos didn't let her falling and held her.

"You won't win." Endarno snarled as he tried to stand up.

"_This battle is over."_ Thanathos said. _"Forget about her. She made her choice."_

"We'll never give up." Himerish told him. Thanathos smirked:

"_Then you will die."_ He vanished and the room emptied of his presence. Immediately after his disappearance a bright portal appeared in the middle of the room.

"It's Kandrakar. They tried to reach us." He finally stood up and helped Himerish and Orube, who was starting to move weakly.

"Let's go. Kandrakar must know what has just happened." Himerish said darkly as they stepped into the passage.

* * *

**I really wanted to write more for this chapter, it looks so short, but this one was meant exactly to describe this particular fact. Nothing more, nothing less.**

**In the next chapter, on the contrary, I'll start to explain everything ('finally!', you may say.).**

**Okay, next chapter: **_**Puppetmaster.**_

**Hope you're enjoying this so far!**


	22. Puppetmaster

**I don't own W.I.T.C.H.**

**Chapter beta-ed by XVDragon**

* * *

**22. Puppetmaster**

When Himerish, Orube and Endarno arrived at Kandrakar they found Yan Lin and Tibor waiting for them. They both had on their face a look of strong concern.

"Himerish! Endarno!" Yan Lin exclaimed as she looked worriedly at them, "What happened? We felt a tremendous magical anomaly coming from Basiliade. We tried to reach you but we were blocked by something." She gave them a better look and widened her eyes. "You're wounded." She said. "Where's Will?"

Endarno lowered his head, ashamed of his failure: "She's been taken away."

Yan Lin paled and Tibor had to support her. "But… how? Why? _Who?_" she babbled. This time it was Himerish who answered her. An only word:

"Thanathos."

Yan Lin winced at that name. She looked at the warrior as she couldn't believe his words, but then she shook her head. She suddenly looked very tired and strained.

"I-it can't be…" she shakily whispered. But Himerish's gaze didn't leave any doubt.

"If it's true," she muttered, "we must call the Guardians. Now Tibor," she turned toward the old sage,

"Please, go and summon the Guardians… and Lord Elyos too. You will find him in the Meditation room. Luckily for us he hasn't returned to his world yet."

Tibor nodded and left the room. Yan Lin raised her hands and a gentle light wrapped the three brave warriors, healing all their wounds.

"Honorable Oracle," Orube immediately asked after the healing, "who is Thanathos?"

"I will tell you everything when the Guardians will be here."

The girls arrived almost immediately. Matt was there too. They reached the group with steady pass and the annoyed expression of who would rather be somewhere else. Apparently Tibor hadn't told them the reason of their call.

"Why did you call us so rudely, Oracle?" Cornelia immediately asked and even forgetting to greet properly the warriors, "Without even leaving us the time to find a credible excuse for our absence! If we stay away for too long they will notice it!"

"It won't happen," it was Yan Lin's answer, "no one will notice your absence."

"Where's Will?" asked Taranee, piercing Himerish with her eyes. Sharp as ever. She had noticed Orube, Himerish and Endarno's presences, and her serious expressions. And if they, who were Will's guardians, were there in Kandrakar then it could mean only two things: that Will was there too but she wasn't in sight or that something had happened to the redhead.

"Girls…" Himerish started, "Will has been taken away. We have been attacked and defeated and our enemy took her away."

The girls looked back at him without speaking and with their mouth opened. Irma was about to say something, but she shook her head and didn't say a word. But Cornelia started to speak. Her hands were tightened in fists and she was pale.

"How did it happen?" she asked. The floor slightly trembled after her words.

"And we'd just had her back," Taranee added as the air around her began to become very hot, "and now she's gone. AGAIN! Why didn't you call us! "WE COULD HAVE SAVED HER!" she shouted the last words. Hot sparkles shone and crackled around her.

"Please calm down…" Hay Lin said, "Let's listen to their story…" but Irma interrupted her.

"We saw her only once! A bloody one time since the Kandhran! She yelled angrily, "Why did you

prevent us to see her more? Maybe we could have avoided all this!"

"That's enough, Guardians!" Endarno roared, "Your reactions are discreditable!" But the Guardians' anger didn't stop. Himerish didn't replied to the girls' accuses because he felt that they were right.

He was not the Oracle anymore, no longer had that confidence given by the power of those who see everything. The doubts were devouring him and each brought a sense of guilt stronger and stronger about Will's fate. If he had listened to the Guardians, if he had let them see her sooner, if he had given

Will back to her family… maybe nothing would have happened. Perhaps it was his fault if Will was now in danger.

"_Enough."_ A voice said.

They all stopped yelling. Himerish too was taken away from his dark thoughts and noticed that the Element Lord Elyos had entered the room accompanied by Tibor.

Lord Elyos looked into Himerish's eyes. He read his soul and his heart: the guilt, the pain. The abduction.

"_No."_ the Element said. For an instant a flash of anger crossed his eyes; a blind fury that destroys everything and cancels the life. Behind the calm and the omniscient of his face passed the shadow of a deep and dark despair. Lord Elyos joined the group of people and looked at them. Taranee, Irma, Cornelia and Hay Lin seemed to vaguely sense that the situation's seriousness and calmed down. For now.

"Sir," Cornelia addressed cautiously the Element, "Could you tell us what's happening?" the others girls nodded.

"_Yes, I will tell you."_ It was the answer,_ "Please, listen. Will has been abducted by a dark and very powerful force called Thanathos. He attacked when Himerish and Endarno were not near the girl. When they returned they tried to protect Will, but it was useless. Between the warriors' power, although immensely brave, and Thanathos', there is an abyss. They had no hope of winning and their enemy had prevented them from escaping. Don't be harsh with these brave warriors because they would have sacrificed their life to save your friend. Something that they would have surely done, if Will hadn't sacrificed her freedom to beg Thanathos to spare them."_

Lord Elyos paused. It looked deeply worried. And that short explanation had brought new questions on the Guardians' lips.

"Who is this Thanathos?" Irma asked, "And why did he take Will?"

"Maybe we should sit." Yan Lin intervened.

"_Yes," _the Element agreed, _"it's a long story."_ They sat down and Lord Elyos began to talk.

"_Please forgive me young Guardians if I start from a forgotten time to make you understand our enemy's nature. Very long ago, before Kandrakar, before the Universes, before everything, nothing material existed. It only the magic existed in its pure status. It was purposeless and an end in itself._

_A reason or a particular time to create the life is not really needed, and so it happened. Without an apparent reason the primary magic suddenly split into the five Elements: Air, Fire, Water, Earth and Energy. Five different Elements were born to create the life. But the beginning wasn't so simple." _Lord Elyos paused to give the girls time to understand what he had said, then he continued.

"_It is not properly correct to call me, Lord Elyos, the Energy Element. The truth is that Energy is a very powerful force. It can move everything, but it can also blow away the life with its power. The Energy has two faces, young Guardians, Light and Dark, Life and Death. When I was born from the primary magic together with my brothers, my shadows was born with me as well. My opposite, the destruction. It's called Thanathos, the Element of the Darkness. Together we form the Energy. Thanathos brings death while I bring the life. And in a world that had yet to be created both our presences were needed to establish a correct balance._

_I, together with my four brothers Air, Water, Fire and Earth , created the center of the Infinity where Kandrakar is built. Kandrakar's role is to bring order among the Universes that are born thanks to our beneficial influence. And so it is._

_But there is another world on the other side of Kandrakar, a territory that the Fortress could never reach because it's its very negation: the Chaos. That place has no life and it's Thanathos' domain._

_Darkness and destruction are separate from this world by an abyss that should never be crossed, Chaos and Kandrakar will return one only when the End will come. But before that time nobody from both sides has to violate the world foreign to him."_

"So this Thanathos would be an Element just like you?" Hay Lin asked. "Why is he here if you have just said that he can't come in this world?"

"He said that he doesn't have to come, not that he can't." Taranee pointed out.

"_The Fire Guardian is right."_

"But this anyway doesn't answer Hay Lin's question." Cornelia said. "Why is he here? Does it mean that the End has come?" she asked skeptically. But Lord Elyos shook his head.

"_No, this is not the End. But I've not finished yet. Now you know who Thanathos is. Now I'll tell you why he wants the young Keeper. The Elements live separated from these dimensions. We live in a world that only we can achieve. We can communicate with the mortal worlds only through Kandrakar. Our will comes through the Transfiguring Cards. And your powers, Guardians, derive from the Aurameres, that are infused with our vital force. Without the Aurameres you couldn't receive any elemental power because there would be no means._

_But sometimes things are different. Every magical Era a special being who doesn't need the Aurameres to use our power arises. This is because the Elemental power directly flows in its veins. The power of these beings is enormous, and they are bound to the Element from which their power derives. These beings are called Scions. They are higher beings similar to us, but yet different. They obey us."_

"Are we Scions?" Hay Lin asked. Lord Elyos shook his head:

"_No, you're not. It's not possible that more than a Scion at time could born. And every time that a Scion is born the power that will have is casual. You are the Guardians, but without the Aurameres or Kandrakar you wouldn't have any power."_

"We're not Scions… but what about Will?" Is this the reason why she was abducted? Cornelia then asked.

"_Will is not a Scion."_ He said. He raised a hand to held back the girls' confused expressions and continued: _"Will is not a Scion… not yet. But Earth Guardian, you're right, this is the reason why Will has been taken away. Because when a Scion is born he hasn't the powers that make him so strong, neither his higher nature. Because a Scion could awake his nature he has to live his mortal life, to die, and to reborn into his higher form._

_During their mortal life the Scion are called 'Children'. For example, a man destined to reborn into a Fire Scion is called 'Child of the Fire'. Once his mortal life has ended his nature awakens and a Scion is born._

_A Child holds incredible magical skills that are the promise of what he will be after his life. But these powers usually appear in a late age when there is enough wisdom to control them."_

"But Will is not old!" Irma interrupted him, "So how could she be a 'Child'? It seems to me that her powers are strong and fully developed! It's different from what you're saying!"

"_You're right, Water Guardian" _Lord Elyos replied, _"But magic has its own rules. Will's powers were asleep until Rifel forcibly awoken them, even though I doubt that the Mage had understood Will's powers' true nature. And there's another thing," _The Element continued seriously.

"_The most important thing. Now I understand, and everything makes sense. An Energy Scion doesn't exist, just like there isn't the pure Energy Element. There are Light and Darkness. And there are Light Scions and Dark Scions. When an Energy Child is born he can potentially be both. As his power derives from the Energy his fates branches off in two roads, the one opposite the other. The choices that the Child will do are going to determine the nature of his future power._

_And when a Child is born, since every creature is pure when its life begins, he will have only to live his life peacefully to ascend into a Light Scion. Every Child is a Child of the Light since his birth._

_Because his fate changes he has to end his life and die devoured by hatred and negative feelings. This is the only way to change a Child of the Light into a Child of the Darkness._

_We Elements of Light and Dark are not allowed to intervene into our Child's life. He has to be free of making his choices._

_But since the Light has advantages on the Dark, as the natural way leads to the Light, the Darkness Element can influence without personally intervening what is near the Child to condition his choices. He can tempt the people around him. Hardening their hearts… making them indifferent. This is way none of you felt the need to defend Will when she was accused the first time. Your hearts were closed under the Darkness' influence."_

"So Thanathos made sure that we got away from Will to make her more vulnerable and angry? So Rifel could take her, awaken her powers and breeding hatred in her? To make her a Child of the Darkness? Matt, who had remained silent until that time, asked.

"_Yes,"_ it was the answer, _"And now it's clear that Rifel was nothing more than a mere pawn. He has been guided toward Will and without even noticing it he made someone else's will, he that wanted power to be invincible more than everything else."_

Cornelia stood up and stared at Lord Elyos. She was very angry and had a harsh look on her face. Taranee, Hay Lin, Irma were serious too.

"Why didn't you save her?" Cornelia asked. "You are an Element. You are practically omnipotent. And if it's really true that Will is a Child, you should care for her. But you didn't lift a finger to save our friend. You are a _hypocrite_!"

"Cornelia!" An aghast Yan Lin exclaimed. Never, since Caleb had reborn from his crystal flower, Cornelia had accused authority so openly. And she wasn't alone.

"Why didn't you warn us that Thanathos was tending a trap? He can do that, you can do it too. Why didn't you warn Kandrakar and instead you waited until Will risked her life in the Kandhran?"

Lord Elyos listened unaffected to the Guardians' affronts. He waited until the calmed down, but when it was clear that the girls weren't going to stop soon he raised a hand.

"_Enough."_ He pronounced that only world with a booming voice that silenced instantly the girls. They stopped their yelling and forced themselves to listen to Lord Elyos' answer.

"_I can understand your feelings. They are justified. And I ask you to believe me if I tell you that I didn't know Thanathos' plan. We can't foresee our brothers' actions and we can't look into our hearts."_

"But why didn't you help Will when she needed it?" Hay Lin asked. "Even if you didn't know Thanathos' plan you could anyway help Will and us to be back together. Why did you abandon her?"

"_Because I can't interfere with my Child's life. Ancient rules created to maintain the balance prevent me to do that. If someone had to violate them, all the Kandrakar's worlds and even the Chaos would be in danger. And if we first, the Elements, don't comply with the rules, by what right we could rule over the Universes?"_

"But Thanathos now is here and he has Will." Matt objected. Lord Elyos nodded and suddenly his eyes shone with strong energy and his skin for an instant became so luminous that they all had to look away.

"_Yes," _he said with powerful voice, _"Thanathos is here. He broke the rules. Even if he can influence your heart Thanathos is not allowed to influence your powers and to directly interfere. He blocked your powers so you couldn't sense Will's innocence, and he personally came to give special powers to a Shapeshifter who served as bait. He planted a Seal in his mind so nobody would ever find out the Truth and he clouded the mind of Kandrakar's Sages to be sure that they stopped at the surface. He acted subtle and never openly to delay the time when he would have been discovered, to make sure that Will would fall more and more into the darkness and would approach him."_

"Why is he here now?" Irma asked. This time it was Himerish who answered her.

"Because Thanathos realized that he was losing her. Will was healing and had managed to forgive herself. It would have been impossible for him trapping her another time, so he decided to come in personally and to break the rules."

"Why does he want Will so ardently? For her power? But doesn't an Element hasn't already possess a never-ending magic?" Taranee asked.

"_No, it's not only for the power. You have no idea of how much a link between an Element with his Scion is like. It gives to both a sense of completeness, it's something stronger of any will. A Scion is born from us, he's part of us. We want to protect him, to keep him close to us. And it was for me an infinite pain to not being able to help Will when she suffered. Seeing her so scared of my presence during the Kandahar tore my heart. Because when an Energy Child meets his opposite Element he is crushed by his presence."_

"Is this why Will suffered so much when Thanathos tried to approach her?" Endarno asked. Lord Elyos nodded:

"_Yes. Since she returned to be a Child of the Light, the Darkness Element with his presence almost killed her."_

"What will happen to her now?" an anxious Yan Lin asked.

"_Thanathos will take advantage of Will's nature to force their link and will bind her to him. He will force her to awaken the darkness within her."_

"We can't allow that!" Orube, the girls and Matt exclaimed all together.

"_I agree. This can't be allowed." _Lord Elyos said, surprising everyone. _"Thanathos is in this world and he can't stay here. He broke the rules. He must be stopped and punished, and only another Element can do this."_

"Are you saying that you're going to help us this time?" Irma asked curiously. Himerish smiled and replied "Yes, Irma. He is essentially saying that he will help us to save Will. By stopping Thanathos he'll give us the time to rescue Will."

"Isn't this against your rules?" Cornelia asked.

"_Punishing those who are wrong isn't against the rules. But i can't help you in expelling the darkness from Will; that will be your task."_

The girls stood up: "Count on us." They said. "We'll save Will no matter what. And there will be no mighty Element who will stop us. We're going to have our friend back, even if we'll have to break every single existing rule!"

Matt stared directly into Himerish's eyes: "I'm coming with you." He said. It wasn't a question. It was a matter of fact. He wasn't asking permission, in his eyes there were an unwavering determination and security. Nobody would have taken him away from his Will, nobody.

"Yes," Himerish told him, "it's time to show how true your love is for her, Matt."

"_I will guide you where Thanathos is hiding. Maybe it'll take some time to find him, but I can do it. Now he has openly showed himself. And when we will be there leave Thanathos to me. Save Will. Don't let her to approach me. If she touches me or approaches me too much when she is dominated by the darkness she will die. Crushed by my light. But I trust you Guardians. I entrust you with my Child's fate and safety. I beg you, please, bring her back to me."_

* * *

**I finally managed to explain the title of my story, yey! **

**In a review Nightroad wondered why Thanathos hadn't killed the Shapeshifter, it would have been simpler to cancel the evidences of his plans. But Thanathos wanted to act as silently as possible because he didn't wanto to be discovered, or at least the later possible. The Shapeshifter's death would have been too suspicious even for the clouded mind of Kandrakar's people, not mentioning for Will's guardians.**

**Thanathos' magic faded from everyone after Will's trial because it was minimal. A stronger spell could have been detected by the other Elements. But when it finally faded it was too late because Will had already been taken by Rifel.**

**Himerish and Endarno managed to break the Seal in Okra's mind because they wanted to find the truth with all themselves after having seen Will in her worst status. And this was why Thanathos decided to f*** the rules and to take Will personally. He wants her, but I will explain this point of view better in the next chapter.**

**And about the story of the birth of the universes that I wrote here, in the comics there is the legend of the Nimph Xin Yang and the four Dragons which tells how the Heart is born. Well my legend is before that ;), the very beginning.**

**Okay, I hope that you enjoyed this! See ya next time: **_**Child of the darkness.**_


	23. Child of the Darkness

**I don't own W.I.T.C.H.**

**Chapter beta-ed by xVDragon.**

* * *

**23. Child of the Darkness**

Will was cold. She was feeling funny, as if she was weightless, as if she was floating in the air. She wasn't sure if she was awake or not, maybe she was dreaming. She didn't feel any fear or pain, only a strong cold which froze every thought of her.

She tried to open her eyes. She saw nothing. Or, more exactly, she saw the most deep darkness around her. Maybe she had only dreamed her waking up.

'_What am I doing here?'_ Will thought. _'Is this another dream of mine?'_

"_No, you're not dreaming."_ A voice answered her thoughts. _"On the contrary, this is the awakening."_

Will winced and looked around her. She didn't see anything. That voice looked familiar to her, but she couldn't remember where she had heard it before.

"Who are you?" she asked loudly, "Where are you?"

"_But you are already seeing me,"_ it was the answer, _"I am the Darkness."_

Will kept on looking in front of her. It was like being blind. Like drowning in a dark sea, so dark that she couldn't even see herself. It wasn't a nice feeling.

"Why am I here?" Will asked.

"_Are you scared?"_ the voice asked, instead of answering her.

"Yes, I am." Will said, and for the first time since she had woken up her heart fastened. By admitting her fears she had made them real.

"_You shouldn't be."_ The voice then replied, and part of the darkness in front of Will became thicker, until it formed a tall skeletal figure with long white hair. _"You belong to this place."_

Will looked at the figure in front of her and she suddenly remembered everything. She widened her eyes and tried to get away from him:

"I…I know you!" the girl exclaimed. "You were at Basiliade! You attacked us… and you tried to kill us! What do you want from me? Why did you bring me here? And who the hell are you!"

"_You are cold."_ The figure said. It wasn't a question. Will was shaking, as well for the fear, for the strong coldness. _"If you come to me, I promise that the cold will leave you forever."_

"Yeah sure!" Will snorted. "Who are you to make such a promise? I still don't know your name."

"_My name is Thanathos,"_ he answered, _"and I am the Element of Darkness."_

Will frowned. "An… Element? Like Lord Elyos?" she asked. Thanathos' gaze seemed to darken at his brother's name.

"_Yes."_ He said shortly. He tried to approach Will, but the girl kept her distance. Then Thanathos shook his head: _"You have nothing to fear."_ He murmured.

"And you haven't answered my questions yet." She murmured back.

Thanathos held back a grin. The girl was brave and had quite a temper, and a strong will. It had never happened that a Child's powers awakened at such a tender age, but thanks to his plan now Will was in front of him. Yes, the last part of the plan hadn't worked; Kandrakar with its puppets had managed to hinder him and to take the girl away from him after all he had done.

But Thanathos had waited for ages the birth of an Energy Child. And now he was not willing to let her go. Darkness ran into Will's veins, powerful and untamed like her nature. She was special, she was perfect. No Element could claim such a graceful and deadly Child.

"_You are here because I took you away from a world to which you do not belong." _He finally answered her, _"This is your world, Will, this is your home."_

"I-I don't understand." Will said. She was still scared. She didn't know where she was, nor what would have happened to her. And moreover, Thanathos' words were awakening into her a doubt that she had managed to shut up thanks to the time she had passed on Basiliade.

"_Oh yes, you do. I can feel it into your tone, your doubt. I can read it into your thoughts; I saw it into your dreams. You are scared of the dark child; you fear that it will swallow you and that you will be lost forever. You're scared of remaining alone and of suffering, rejected by everyone, without a friend. Tell me Will, are these your fears?"_

The girls looked away. Her heart was pounding into her chest. Thanathos had just voiced to her most hidden fears. She clenched her fists and forced herself to look back into those hollow eyes.

"Yes." She replied. "Darkness brought me only misery and pain. I want nothing to do with you, Thanathos. I don't belong to the Darkness." But her words were interrupted by the Element's cold laugh:

"_Do you really believe that?"_ he asked her, looking into her hazel eyes. _"Do you really believe that it was the Dark to cause all your pains?"_

"Yes." She replied defiantly.

"_My young child, your convictions are distorted. Distorted by Kandrakar and by its childish and coward teachings. Where it's taught you that the Light is Good and the Dark is Evil, but where is this rule written? Can you tell me, Will, does the ultimate Good exist? Have you ever heard or seen it?"_

"There are facts!" Will yelled angrily. "When I was with Rifel and his mages I did horrible things! I killed, I stole and I lied! I used dark powers, this is Evil, and I made a lot of people suffer!"

"_You've called them dark powers… how did you know that they come from Darkness?" _Thanathos replied._ "You use the same word to define two different things, young one. The truth is that it's easier to hide in the dark. The Man can't see what hides in the dark corners or in the deep wells; this is why he is scared, because darkness hides the Unknown. So he fears and despises it. And if Evil to you means causing pain to others, here that you associate what causes pain with something you can't understand, something dark, unknown. Who hurts, who deceives uses the Dark because it's easier to hide in it Will, but this doesn't make of it a wicked Element. It' an Element like the others."_

"But you're evil! You tried to kill Himerish and the others."

"_I do what I want." _Thanathos replied. _"I am honest. There was something that I wanted and I didn't hesitate to take it. Darkness is not hypocrite; I'm not scared of what I am. I am free. And so can you, Will."_

"What do you mean?"

"_Look at your wrists, Will."_ The Element said pointing at Will's chains, _"yours is not freedom. You're a slave of your so-called Good, the Light. You tried to follow your heart and Kandrakar repaid you by making you a prisoner in body and soul. Can't you see it? You passed to the Dark side after Kandrakar had betrayed you, after that all the people you loved abandoned you and made you suffer. But isn't that the Evil? And you see that it was your friends, under Kandrakar's white light, who had done it. Sometimes, the strongest light could blind. You sought refuge into the silence, the Darkness, looking for a new path, looking for a new yourself. You tried to follow your feelings to find the real you and you were stopped. Kandrakar saw your power and thought they could regain you. To regain your naïve mind to be able to use your energy in the future, as they had always done. The Light acts in a hypocritical way, as all can see it."_

"This… this is not true!" Will protested sitting and taking her head into her hands. Everything that Thanathos was telling her was a lie; Kandrakar had always helped them, why would they have to act different?

"_Nerissa was nothing without the Heart of Kandrakar." _Thanathos added as if he had read her thoughts, _"And she was condemned. A fallen Guardian, who's become an old witch full of hatred. But she was no real threat to Kandrakar and its Guardians. But you, Will, with your enormous power, you couldn't be condemned. It was worth of a try to bring you back. And if they had failed they would have thrown you away, giving the fault to your hopeless heart and to your too much corrupted soul…"_

"Shut up, SHUT UP, you're lying!" Will yelled and started to cry. "You're lying…"

"_You know that I'm right,"_ the Element whispered to her,_ "Darkness can give you the peace and the silence you're looking for, little one… you can rule it, use it at your leisure, it will be to you friend and companion… it will never betray you. It's going to be with you whatever you decide."_

"Before all of this happened I was happy." Will said weakly, more to herself than to Thanathos, "I had friends. A family. A life."

"_Friends that had betrayed you. A family that couldn't see when you needed help."_

"But I… I care for them! I don't want them to suffer!" Will exclaimed. Thanathos shook his head:

"_Have you already forgiven them? Your heart is noble, Will. But it'll be useless. They will betray you again and again. They will be wrong again. Or they will fear you because of your power. You and them are different, there's an abyss between you."_

"I don't care! The can betray me again, but I will be always there for them, this time." Will bravely stated. "I'm not going to repeat my own mistakes."

"_A life of never ending pain awaits you," _Thanathos hissed, _"a life of a slave, your powers at a group of old men's service, who are far from what is real, closed in their white Fortress._

Thanathos raised his hands and pointed his finger toward Will. Immediately she found herself immersed in her own past memories:

_It was the night of her first trial, the night in which everything started:_

"_**You… you don't believe me?" an almost begging Will asked. The Guardians reacted angrily:**_

"_**Stop it, Will, don't insult us with this act of yours! Why don't you simply face facts? I've never thought that you would be so coward." Cornelia said.**_

"_**No! I…"**_

"_**We're done with you, Will."**_

_I__t was the day after the trial, at school:_

"_**I thought that you were my best friend, but in the end you're ended just like Nerissa. You betrayed me, Will, you betrayed us all." Taranee said.**_

"_**If you don't have a better story, it looks like this conversation has just ended." Matt said.**_

"_**Matt! You don't believe me too?" Will exclaimed.**_

"_**Will I saw the trial, I was there. And do you want to know something? You didn't look very convincing. I think that you realized that you're wrong, but keeping on denying your fault only brings you to the wrong again."**_

"_**I do not intend to change my words" Will continued shakily.**_

"_**Then we're done with you." Taranee replied, her hands closed in fists. The bell rang.**_

"_**Farewell, Will." She said as she went away followed by Irma and Hay Lin. Cornelia had already gone.**_

_**Matt was the last. Will looked at him with hope once more. But he looked away and left her. **_

_She was at home, after the school:_

"_**I just want you… to leave me alone!" Will yelled tiredly. She regretted immediately her words, but it **_

_**was too late. She saw her mother stiffening and narrowing her eyes angrily:**_

"_**Good. Then, as you wish to be left alone, you will be. Go to your room and stay there."**_

"_**Mom… I'm sorry…" Will tried to apologize.**_

"_**Why are you still here?"**_

Will returned abruptly returned to reality. She remained silent and stared at the Element in front of her, listening to her erratic breath. Her heart was pounding so hard to be almost painful.

"_Do you think to be strong enough to bear this again and again?"_ Thanathos asked her almost gently.

"_Because this is the future which awaits you. The human race is weak, don't think, Will, that the same mistake won't be repeated. What you did, Will, to go away and look for another life, it was the right choice."_

"What… what should I do?" Will then asked. She felt drained of every power and feeling. Just like when everyone had left her. It was a horrible sensation, how could she have forgotten? How could she have… forgiven.

"_Be yourself. Do what you want. This is what the Darkness is. Don't care for anybody… except from us."_ Thanathos approached her and kneeled near her. Will raised her gaze toward him. He wiped her tears away with his skeletal hand.

"Your hand is warm…" Will said as she closed her eyes to focus on that feeling. She didn't see the triumphant smiled that crossed quickly the element's face.

"_Yes… the cold will never touch you again, child…"_ He brought her near him and circled him with his arms and body until she was entirely wrapped in his black tunic. Every bit of cold vanished from Will's body, who slowly felt herself reviving. She felt the tiredness, the doubts vanishing. And it grew in her a safety she had never known before: the confidence in her power, in her Element. Every bound she had with her previous life weakened until to fade like a dream.

And so the forgotten dreams became real, and the real life became a faded memory.

The Darkness would never leave her. It was unthinkable that it would abandon her, because she was a part of it. She felt complete. Free. There was nothing to be scared of, she could do everything. She had the power to do everything whenever she wanted.

Will opened her eyes. No tears were clouding her vision now. Her heart was beating peacefully at the same rhythm of Thanathos'. She inhaled deeply, then she looked back at the Element, who was waiting for her to speak.

"I feel good." She said. Thanathos nodded proudly.

"_Welcome, Will. Together we will be unstoppable." _He wanted to add something, but he abruptly stopped as if he had heard something. He remained still for a while, then he smiled:

"_it looks like we have some guests, young one. Your old friends are here to take you back."_

"I don't want to see them." Will said in a bored tone. "They are boring and they belong to an ended life."

"_They will find us. Let's go to greet them."_

"As you wish Father. I'll play a little with them, then."

"_Do what you want. But they're going to try to take you back, they will say that I'm lying and they are right, what will you do then?"_ he asked her smiling.

"The dead can't speak."

Thanathos' smile widened.

* * *

"And _this _would be the place?" Irma asked.

"_Yes."_ Elyos nodded, _Thanathos and Will are in here."_

Lord Elyos, the four Guardians, Orube, Himerish, Endarno and Matt were in front of a dark and not very much reassuring cave. Irma shook her head, the shadow of an incredulous smiled on her lips: "Wow, this is so… original." She added.

"Irma, drop it." Taranee interrupted her. "Be serious. We are here to save Will. It's no time for stupid jokes." The water Guardian returned serious:

"I know. There's no need to remind me. I was only saying that if he wanted to hide he could find a little less obvious place than a dark cave."

"Irma's right." Himerish suddenly said, "It really looks like a trap."

"_Thanathos knows we are here, as I can feel him he can feel me. He had all the time to prepare for our arrival. Leave my brother to me, young Guardians, go for Will. Don't let Thanathos provoke you. You are the only ones who can take her back."_

"Count on us!"

The group went into the cave. Taranee summoned various fire globes to make some light, even if Lord Elyos alone radiated a natural light that allowed the group to see. They wandered for a long time until they arrived to a big crypt.

"I don't like these big spaces that suddenly pop after a narrow tunnel…" Irma commented, "something bad always happens!"

"Let's do a bit of more light." Taranee said. She threw her globes through the crypt, which lit up with flickering light. It was really big.

"Sir, can you feel Thanathos?" Orube asked the Element.

"_Yes. He's not here, but he's really close. From now on I will go alone to face him. You look for Will."_

"What if Will is with Thanathos?"

"_I'll call you then. But if she's not, it's better for everyone that two Elements fight far from you mortal beings."_

The Element walked away from them and headed for a narrow passage almost invisible. He turned back a last time, a last pleading look to which the girls responded with a resolute nod. Lord Elyos' eyes shone and the Element vanished in the corridor.

"Where do we start looking for Will?" hay Lin asked as she started to fly, "We don't know how big this place is."

"Maybe it's better if we split up." Taranee proposed, "Let's keep in telepathic contact. Who finds her calls for the others."

"There's no need to do such a fuss. Look over here, girls." A voice said.

All the group abruptly turned toward the voice. Will was a dozen meters away from them, sitting on a rock. She watched them with an amused grin.

"I could have you wander for a long time in here," she said with a shrug, "but it would have been boring. Not to mention that it wouldn't have been satisfying at all."

"WILL!" the girl exclaimed all together, "What… what happened to you?" A scared Cornelia asked.

Will went down of the rock and landed not far away from them. She gave a perplexed look at Cornelia and asked: "What do you mean?"

"Your… appearance."

Will as in her Guardian form. But her clothes were no more purple, green and blue, they were instead black and grey. Her wings were bigger than the other Guardians' and instead of being of a soft shading of blue-green they were orange-red. But the thing that hit the girls the most were was her eyes: they were red, like her hair. They were shimmering in a mysterious and malicious light.

Will blinked and took a look at her own clothes, then she smiled casually, "Oh, Yeah! You see, things have… changed a bit." She said as it was nothing important. She was really her. She acted like her, she spoke like her, she even had the same smile. She didn't look changed except for her appearance.

"But… Are you alright, Will?" Cornelia asked her. Will nodded.

"I couldn't feel better, Cornelia." She said. Himerish and Endarno unsheathed their swords.

"Back off, Guardians!" they said, "She's not Will anymore!"

Will raised an eyebrow: "Himerish. Endarno. You've been my babysitter for all this time, I don't know how to show my gratitude. Or maybe I do: I will reserve you a special treatment after I'll be done with my 'friends'!"

The two men assumed a defensive position, but Will raised her hands in a peaceful way and said "Oh no, no! Take it easy, there's no need of putting in the guard position. You can make yourself comfortable. You have no hope from the very beginning." She stepped back with a grin and disappeared in the shadows. Himerish and Endarno immediately felt themselves sinking in the rock under them. They turned back and saw that their shadows were _swallowing _them. They struggled to free themselves but it was useless. Who has ever managed to escape from his shadow? The two warriors were trapped in the rock unable of moving. They could barely breathe.

"NO!" Cornelia screamed and tried to free them. But the rock didn't listen to her.

"It's useless." Will, who had returned in front of them, told them. "They are not only trapped in the rocks, but also in their own shadows. You won't be able to free them."

Cornelia turned angrily toward Will: "Why are you doing this, Will? Weren't we returned friends?"

"No." the redhead said, "We weren't. You only wanted to shut up your guilt. But there's no point of returning." She clapped once and everyone winced: "Thanathos showed me what being really free means. I can do whatever I wish. And what I want now is to have some fun together with who abandoned me once and turned their back to me. I hope that you're ready, because I'm _deadly_ serious."

"Will…" Hay Lin tried, but Will interrupted her: "Even if you the Air Guardian, I suggest you to not waste your breath, Hay Lin. You're going to need it all, trust me."

The girls looked at each other. Will was lost. And Thanathos would have paid for it. They didn't want to attack their friend, but they had to, because it seemed that Will was more than willing to attack them.

Orube slowly unsheathed her sword. Taranee, Cornelia, Hay Lin and Irma waited for the attack.

"Yes!" Will exclaimed and took off in flight, "Come! One by one or all together, it makes no difference! You are all going to fall. And you will suffer as I did, and even more." She cruelly concluded. Her hands began to crackle with reddish energy. "No tricks this time," she added, "no interruptions. Only you and me until the end, what do you say?"

"I say that Thanathos has melted your brain, Will!" Irma yelled and flew toward her. "And I'll make your common sense back, no matter what!"

"We won't let you stay like this!" Cornelia said.

"We won't allow Thanathos to take you!" Hay Lin yelled.

"We won't give up!" Taranee exclaimed.

The girl headed for Will all together. Will waited for them, her red eyes shone in the dark, "I'm waiting for you, girls."

* * *

**see you next time: _Childhood's end._**


	24. Childhood's end

**I do not own W.I.T.C.H.**

**Chapter beta-ed by XVDragon.**

* * *

**24. Childhood's end**

Lord Elyos kept on walking in the dark, following his dark brother's presence who was calling him. And when he finally arrived at the place where Thanathos was waiting for him he stopped. Although the crypt where he had left the Guardians was wide, it was nothing compared to the place he was now. It was enormous and its end was impossible to see. Elyos stopped near the tunnel's threshold because there was no floor in front of him. There was an only never ending abyss. And in the middle of the abyss, floating in the darkness of the cave, was Thanathos. He was waiting for him.

"_Brother, you found me." _The Dark Element said, greeting him. Lord Elyos took a step forward and started to walk in the air toward Thanathos:

"_Thanathos, do you realize what you have done?"_ he asked him as he stopped in front of him, _"your presence here could have caused the Universes' destruction!"_

"_But it didn't happen." _Thanathos replied calmly. Elyos shook his head._ "The rules are there to be respected! And this applies to you too, even if your reign is different from ours. With no rules everything loses its meaning."_

"_Rules have been respected for long time. It won't be a single infraction to destroy the fragile balance of things." _Thanathos said. He smiled, _"But you truly care for the Universes, don't you? You would want me to believe that you are here for this reason? Because I broke the rules?"_

"_You know why I am here." _Elyos replied shortly.

Thanathos' eyes shone in the dark. _"Sure. So… since the Universes' balance is the most important thing to you… if I had to admit my 'faults' and decided now to return to my home you would let me go unpunished? After all my intervention luckily caused no damage and it's better for everyone to avoid a fight between Elements. So Elyos… am I right? Am I free to go?" _he asked.

Elyos paused, and when he replied he spoke with deliberate slowness, _"Yes, Thanathos, you are free to return to your reign of Chaos. Retreat now and avoid the fight, so everything will return to its right place." _The Darkness Element laughed:

"_Perfect. I'll call my Child and we will leave together, Elyos."_ He said.

"_No."_ the other said.

"_No to what?"_

"_Will can't leave with you!"_

Thanathos hissed violently, and a cold wind swept the crypt making flutter their clothes and their long hair.

"_Off with the mask, Elyos!"_ Thanathos exclaimed. _"What are rules for us Elements! Nothing! Our strength is far more powerful than their jurisdiction. You are here because you want Will and you can't accept that she is mine!"_

Elyos moved his hands and the wind stopped. His eyes were flaming with fury, _"The rules are here to allow life to exist. From us Elements life is born, and if it ends so it is our meaning and essence! You, with your actions, forced Will to become what she is now! You are free to go, but Will, in terms of human being, deserves to live her life in freedom. A freedom which you denied her."_

"_Freedom?" _Thanathos snarled. "_That is not freedom. Although you don't intervene directly in her life, she lives every day under Kandrakar's pitiful influence! You fooled the rules first, by destining her to defend the Fortress!"_

"_You perfectly know that you're wrong" _Elyos whispered dangerously, _"You know that the Heart of Kandrakar is a special artifact. None of us can influence its decisions, it is a thinking entity born from Xin Jing's sacrifice. And if she chose Will, it means that it was her fate to become a Guardian."_

The two Elements paused. The air around them was full of their power, small energy sparks crackled in the air.

"_What are you going to do then?" _Thanathos asked. _"She will come for sure if I call her."_

"_I won't let you to call her."_

"_Then I will go where she is."_

"_The Guardians of Kandrakar are fighting against her now." _Elyos said._ "You can't intervene against the Guardians. And to get Will you are obliged to get over them. They are not going to run away, they will attack you. And if you attack them I'll have no other choice than stopping you."_

Thanathos laughed, _"You have always been good at speaking… everything is so perfect. You placed your puppets perfectly so I have no other choice except for fighting you. And so be it then.' _The air around Thanathos started to crackle, _"Let's fight. We will fight for our Child's fate!"_

The two Elements clashed in the middle of the abyss. The roar was deafening; for an instant all the air around them was burned by the heat caused by the clash of their two energies and all the sound was devoured as well. After that then the explosion happened and was swallowed by the dark and deep abyss and disappeared leaving only a weak and far rumble. Elyos and Thanathos were face to face, both were looking for a weak point. Thanathos took distance and his arms turned into two blades of bone. He dashed against Elyos trying to stab him. The Light Element didn't try to stop him, but he waited. The blades hit him, but instead of ripping and stabbing him, they melted slowly in Elyos' chest, who tried to grab his brother to take him closer to himself. Thanathos managed to free his arms and receded again.

"_Trying to pull me in your own body, Elyos?"_ he asked him. _"Are you so desperate?"_

"_I'll stop you, no matter what, brother." _Elyos replied. He threw two powerful lightning bolts against Thanathos, who opened his arms as if he wanted to greet them. The bolts were absorbed by his body like Elyos had tried to do. Then a dark aura circled Thanathos and exploded around him, repelling Elyos away of a couple of meters.

"_We can't kill each other, Elyos."_ Thanahtos whispered. _"In the end we are the same being."_

"_I don't want to kill you. I only want to give the Guardians the time to save Will."_

"_So much faith in those little humans, but it's no use."_

"_I trust them."_

"_Then I'll prevent you from hindering me, and after that I'll get rid of them once for all!"_ Thanathos yelled and attacked again. Elyos was ready for him.

None of the two Elements wanted to surrender. Their strikes were so violent to devour the air around them, their auras so huge to crash everything. But they were both at the same level. Elyos focused all his light and freed it all in the same moment trying to weaken Thanathos. But the Dark Element created around him and energy shield to shelter himself. He noticed right in time that it was only a diversion; in fact Elyos was about to attack him from behind to try to absorb him another time.

"_You are a fool,"_ Thanathos hissed, _"if you think to be strong enough to keep me inside your body. It will be you to be assimilated!"_ He raised his hands and a thick black smoke raised from the abyss, wrapping the two opponents. Elyos felt the smoke on his skin which was trying to infect him with its tentacles. He started to struggle against that darkness to free himself.

"_Say farewell to Will, because she is mine."_

The darkness wrapped Elyos in a dense cocoon. And inside it the Light Element made a little bubble of light around him to escape from Thanathos. He closed his eyes and focused trying to resist, _"Girls, please,"_ it was his last thought before focusing only on his own safety, _"hurry up."_

The fight against Will wasn't going very well.

* * *

"Cornelia, LOOK OUT!" Irma yelled.

CRASH! Cornelia was violently thrown against the rocks and fell on the ground. The Earth Guardian stood up shakily, Hay Lin and Irma went immediately to help her:

"Are you okay?" they asked her.

"If I hadn't been in my Guardian form that blow would have disintegrated me." The blonde said darkly as she looked at the fight above her, "I don't know how long we can keep like this."

Above them Taranee and Orube were trying to hold Will back. Orube was using the rocks to jump and trying to hit Will with her sword. But Will just flew away from her trajectory. But it was harder to dodge Taranee and his flaming globes. The girl kept on throwing them against Will to prevent her to fly away from Orube.

"This is how I call a good teamwork!" Will complimented them after she had barely dodged Taranee's fire and Orube's blade, "I would say that you're doing a great job without me!"

"Drop it Will, be serious!" Taranee exclaimed angrily. Will had only dodged and parried their hits so far, without attacking them too much often. But Orube had noticed that when Will attacked them her blows always hit their target and were terribly strong. With her last attack she had thrown Cornelia away with impressive ease.

"Taranee, stop provoking her!" the young warrior said, "We need a plan or we're never going to win this fight!"

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing." Will agreed with a grin, "You'd better do something more, this battle is proving to be a little disappointing."

This was the last straw for Taranee: "SHUT UP!" she roared, and she threw her a real fire storm. Will summoned a shield and Taranee's blows were stopped by Will's barrier. But Taranee didn't stop and kept on attacking until the shield cracked and shattered. Will was thrown away, but instead of crashing against the rock she hit the wall with her feet and jumped to get back in the air. She returned on front of Taranee, who in the meanwhile had been reached by the other Guardians.

"It wasn't so hard, was it?" Will asked her seriously. "The hitting me. Try all together, come on."

The girls looked at each other. "What do we do?" Hay Lin asked. "Do we have another choice?"

"Apparently not." Cornelia replied, "But we should try to immobilize her, not to harm her."

"If she doesn't harm us first, that is." Irma commented.

"Let's keep our cool," Orube said and looked at Taranee, "Don't let her provoke you. She's provoking us, can't you see it? She wants us to hit her to confirm that we are her enemies."

"So we should let her to kill us?" Taranee hissed. She was still angry.

"No. I think that we should try with the 'let's immobilize her' plan. Any ideas?"

"Yes! Do as I say!" Cornelia exclaimed. The girl nodded. "Orube," Cornelia ordered, "keep her busy!"

"Yes ma'am!" Orube replied. She hurled against Will who didn't dodge, but began to answer to Orube's hits.

"Some sparring like the old good times, Orube?" she teased her.

"You'd better be very careful, Will. The truth is that I've never fought seriously during our trainings!"

"Really?" a perplexed Will asked. "I've never noticed that. Let's make a deal then, you fight seriously, and I may consider putting a little more effort in this fight against you!"

"I'm flattered by this offer."

"I knew you would have loved it!" Will summoned a sword, the same sword which she used to have when she fought for Rifel and began to fight. The blades' clashes resonated in the entire cave, the blades where so fast that they were barely visible.

"Touchy!" Will exclaimed when she managed to wound Orube's arm. "Let me know when you decide to fight seriously, so we can end the warming up."

Orube was losing her cool. Will was much faster than the time they trained together, and she had also the time to make fun of her. She didn't know for how long she would have been able to keep her busy and she didn't have a clue about what the girls were doing.

"We're ready!" Cornelia's voice suddenly said, "Orube get away from there!"

Orube took distance from Will, who remained at her place. "Tired already?" she asked her.

"Girls, what do you have in mind?" Orube asked.

"Look!"

While Orube and Will were fighting Irma and Taranee had mixed their powers. Using fire and water they had made a cloud of humidity which was saturating the air around them.

"Make it go toward Will!" Cornelia said. Irma and Taranee obeyed and the cloud moved toward the redhead.

"So you want to defeat me with a sauna?" Will asked as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. "What do you want to do, make me sweat to death?"

"It looks like Thanathos made you more stupid, as well as less pleasant," Irma said, "Go Hay Lin!"

"Roger!" Hay Lin started to cool the air around Will. The water's particles in the air froze and became Ice crystals. The humidity on Will and her sweat started to freeze and the ice began to cover Will.

"Hey!" She exclaimed as she tried to break the ice, "This is not enough!"

"In fact we're not done yet!" Cornelia replied. Hay Lin, Irma and Taranee kept on making new humidity and new ice, while Cornelia removed thanks to her power five thick rock's plates. Cornelia moved the plates near Will and was placed around and above her to form a prison. With a last hand gesture of Cornelia the plates welded together and Will remained trapped in that rocky tomb.

"Now we hit her all together!" Cornelia said. "She is blocked and she can't see from where we will attack. Only one hit, we send her K.O. and we bring her to Kandrakar. Let's go!"

They headed all together for Will, resolute to hit her to end the fight. But they had taken only a couple of steps forward when from their own shadows appeared hands that grabbed their ankles. They all tripped and ended on the ground, face on the cold rock.

A light laugh came from the rocky prison which became stronger and stronger. The rock cracked and revealed a Will busy in brushing away from her the last bits of ice.

"You should pay more attention to where you put your feet," she said, "This is my territory. You can't trust even your own shadows. It was a good attack action anyway, even if it was completely useless. I feel obliged to return the favor." She threw two energy bolts which hit Cornelia and Orube, then she threw another one and hit hay Lin. She grabbed Taranee and Irma and took flight, and then she threw the two girls toward the ground with all her strength. The two girls fell with a loud crash.

"So, how's being defeated?" Will asked as she slowly came down, "how is not having any hope? It isn't a nice feeling, is it? And yet I felt like this when each of you turned your back to me!" her red eyes shone as she looked at them, one by one. "Every night in the dark before falling asleep I couldn't stop thinking about you, every night I asked myself why all of this happened! How could my best friend abandon me so easily? How could they ignore me? Until I realized that I was nothing for you. A dead weight to get rid of at the first chance you got."

"It's n-not t-true, Will…" Irma stammered as she tried to stand up, "it was Thanathos who manipulated us!"

"Well it wasn't a great friendship if it broke so easily at the first bit of difficulty." Will commented coldly.

"You're right Will, we haven't been good friends. We left you, we abandoned you, but we are here now! Why didn't you want to listen to us?" A crying Hay Lin asked.

"Why don't you want to believe our words?" Taranee asked, "This way you're acting exactly we have done, you refuse to listen!"

"And now the fault would be MINE!" Will roared angrily. Her aura increased and crashed them all on the ground.

"Nice try, Tara. Now she's going to listen to us for sure." Irma's sense of humor was unstoppable.

But Taranee wasn't done. She stood up, trembling, although Will's strikes and her angry aura were keeping her on the ground and said, "Yes, it is exactly as you said! We left you! But then we have come back! Damn it, Will, we are sixteen! We can't know everything! If it wasn't for our powers we would be like all the other girls. Friends fight! They insult each other! They make mistakes!" and here she stopped because she was breathless, but then she continued, "What I'm trying to tell you is that we care for you with all ourselves. We came back after our mistake and we beg your pardon. And now we are here and we're begging you again, and we would do anything to convince you!"

"I agree with her!" Cornelia added, "I don't care if you have dark powers, Will. You are always you. You will be always my friend and I'm sorry f I doubted you. I was wrong and if you want I will repeat it every day from now on, but please come back home with us!"

"We want you back Will." Irma whispered from the ground, "We are the W.I.T.C.H. and we have been total idiots, you're right. Please give us another chance."

"You can hit us again of you want." Hay Lin said. "Again and again, until you feel content; until your rage is soothed. We are here. This is what friends are for, right? To help you when you're feeling bad."

"SILENCE!" Will yelled. She hit them making them losing consciousness. Will stood still, panting, among them. She was shaking: "It's not my fault, I'm only taking my rightful revenge. It's right, I can do what I want! And I don't care about what you're saying, I don't need you!" she exclaimed. But the girls couldn't hear her, they had fainted.

"Will." A voice called her. Will turned.

Matt was standing near Himerish and Endarno's trapped bodies. He had protected them from the battle.

"Matt?" she began to walk toward him. But the boy didn't take his sword out. He was only staring at her.

"Matt, I gave you everything," Will said, "So it makes sense to me to take everything from you, included your life. Are you ready to fight?" she asked him.

"I'm not fighting you." Matt replied.

"You aren't? What a coward. Actually, staying here under the pretext of protecting these two is really convenient, right? That why you don't risk anything."

"That is not the reason, Will." He said. "I don't want to fight you. I don't want to harm you anymore. From now on I want to live every moment passed with you to make you happy and to be sure that you'll never suffer again. Because I love you, Will!" Will looked at him wordlessly, but she immediately recovered from the surprise and laughed.

"You? Harming me? Are you kidding? You're NOTHING to me!" She hit him with one of her blasts and threw him away. Matt didn't let a sound, but he immediately returned on his feet. Will kept on hitting him, but the boy didn't react. Will was becoming nervous, why he was not reacting? Her strikes were hitting him and if Matt didn't want to die he would have to defend himself. But it wasn't happening.

"Why aren't you fighting? Have you already given up?" she snarled. Every time she hit him she didn't feel any satisfaction, she was instead angrier because she felt that her goal was fading away from her. She couldn't understand.

"I've told you I don't want to fight." Matt, who could barely stand, replied. "I want to show you that I don't want to make you feel bad anymore, even if it's too late. I want you to realize that I would do anything for you!"

Will grabbed by his neck. "Anything?" she whispered, "Even dying?"

"Yes" it was his reply, "If my death allowed you to find the peace you're looking for… if I thought even for an instant that my death could soothe the pain that is strangling your heart, then I'd die without hesitation. Kill me if you want. I'm ready."

Will threw him away: "YOU IDIOT! You think that it would be enough? Two words to settle everything? Well, if you want to die then I'll be happy to satisfy your wish!" the girl began to hit him mercilessly. The hits echoed in the cave as Will raged on Matt. The girls regained consciousness and tried to stop her, but they were too weak to move.

"Will stop…" Irma babbled, "You'll kill him…"

"Stop please…" Hay Lin begged her.

"Will…"

And Will stopped, panting. Matt was at her feet, he was still breathing and had still the strength to look straight in her eyes. But his was not a hating look, or fearful. Only pity. She lowered her gaze and for an instant a heavy silence filled the crypt. The she spoke on a low voice, but her words were perfectly audible in the silence:

"Answer to my question, Matt. Why isn't the pain stopping? Why my anger doesn't stop when I hit you? Why I'm feeling so… hollow in seeing you so defeated?"

Matt coughed and a little trickle of blood ran down his chin. "Maybe you're looking for peace in the wrong way, Will." He whispered back.

"What should I do then?" she asked. After having hit them in all the possible ways she was still feeling sad and dead. Nothing had changed. She had run out of ideas. She felt defeated, although she was the only one to stand in the middle of the battlefield.

"Do nothing…. Let us come. Give us a chance. You're the strongest. And if even this doesn't work, well, feel free to kill us all, does this sound as a reasonable deal to you?" he asked her with the shadow of a smile, but she didn't return it. Will took a step back and closed her eyes. She was exhausted.

"I… I think need help." She said.

"We are here for you, Will."

* * *

In the meanwhile, the two Elements were still fighting. Thanathos was using all his strength to keep Elyos trapped to swallow him, but Elyos was fighting with all his power to free himself. They were in perfect balance and none of the two could afford the slightest distraction.

But the distraction came, for Thanathos. The Element was linked to Will and felt her resolve fading. He clenched his fists. _"NO!"_ He exclaimed furiously. That little instant was vital, because Elyos took advantage of his fury to free himself. With a flash of light which lit the entire crypt Elyos wiped the darkness around him away and return in front of his brother.

"_Damn you, Elyos!"_ Thanathos hissed, _"I am losing the bound with Will!"_

"_You only trust yourself," _it was Elyos' reply, _"and you think that the other living beings are nothing. But you're wrong. From the strongest to the weakest, from the most stupid to the smartest, everyone lives. In every heart there is the miracle of life and every soul in its deep wants to be loved and to be with others. And it's this wish which pushes people to travel for long distances, to face dangers without giving up, and to forgive mistakes and fights. Everybody in the end wants to not be alone. Even you, Thanathos, in your selfishness, want to have Will near you to feel complete."_

"_NONSENSE!" _Thanathos yelled, _"It's the power that binds me and Will, not a useless desire of affection and love!"_

"_Will is not a trophy, she's a living person. And you, in your selfish conviction that being omnipotent is enough to be happy, underestimated the Guardians of Kandrakar and the young Matt! It's true, their power is nothing compared to yours and Will's, but this means nothing. It's what you feel in your heart that makes the difference."_Elyos said.

"_It looks like Will's youth is a double-edged sword."_ Thanathos commented, _"She is special, but she is still too young to realize that life has no meaning. Her hopes are nothing but illusions."_

"_But these illusions are stronger than your influence on her! You're being defeated by what you despise, Thanathos! You forced her with a trick to come close to you, this is the real deception. And now it shatters under the weight of what's really important!"_

Thanathos let out a loud cry. It was true. He felt that the bound with Will was fading and he couldn't go to her to take her away because Elyos was in the way. Will had let herself to be fooled another time by the words of those miserable humans who would have turned her away from him once for all. He couldn't bear it. He couldn't bear to lose Will, but he couldn't bear even more the humiliation of being defeated by such lower beings as those humans.

"_And so be it,"_ Thanathos declared with a grimace, _"I lost. But if I can't have her"_ he added with a mean look,_ "THEN NOBODY WILL!" he roared and raised his hands, and immediately a dark cocoon wrapped and hid him. The whole cave started to tremble and to resonate of the element's fury._

"_STOP!" _Elyos, who had instantly realized what Thanathos wanted to do, yelled, "YOU WILL KILL HER!"

But his voice faded in the clamor.

* * *

In the other crypt the girls were trying to stand up. It looked like Will didn't want to harm them anymore. She was still and looked at them as she was waiting for their next move. Matt too tried to stand, but he was the one with the worst wounds. But he didn't want to give up because Will had never been so far and so close at the same time.

"I don't want to lose you, Will." Matt whispered.

"I…" Will was about to reply when a dark aura wrapped her. The girl widened her eyes and fell on her knees grabbing her head in her hands. Will began to shiver violently and cried.

"WILL!" A scared Cornelia shouted, "WHAT'S HAPPENING TO YOU!"

"WE MUST HELP HER!" Irma exclaimed and tried to approach her, but the dark aura that enveloped Will was aggressive and rejected her back. Irma stepped away holding a wounded arm.

"It… it hurts…" Will stammered in tears, "Please, make it stop…" she embraced herself and cried again while the darkness began to attack her own body and tore her wings.

"What is happening to her?" Orube asked as she approached Himerish an Endarno. Now that Will's power was weaker the two warriors had managed to free themselves.

"I think… that the darkness is destroying her." Himerish said. Endarno managed to come out of his rocky prison and stood up. "She doesn't want that power anymore and the dark is taking its revenge."

"But it's horrible!" Orube replied, "How can we stop it?"

"We can't." Endarno said. "We can't approach her without being destroyed by that wild energy. Will is…"

"NO!" Matt suddenly cried. Will was there, in front of him, and he had thought he would have been able to hug her again, but now she was dying in front of him! The girl he loved was in pain and only a few meters away from him, he couldn't allow it. Common sense turned off inside Matt and the boy rushed with all his determination toward the dark storm. The energy attacked him violently, but he didn't care and kept on walking. Slowly, inch by inch, meter by meter, Matt made his way toward Will.

His clothes were all tattered and all his body was protesting for the effort, but he didn't care. He had to save Will first. He could fall after that.

Will's conditions were terrible. Her wings were tattered, her body was deadly pale and covered with bruises and cuts and two dark bags were under her eyes. She let out a third cry, louder than the others, and clawed the ground with her nails.

Matt reached her and hugged her. He felt himself burning, but he held her tightly without letting her go, he knew that if he had let her go Will would have been lost forever.

"Don't give up Will!" he told her, trying to win the furious energy's howl, "Don't give up. We are here and we won't let you go!"

"I… I'm scared!" she yelled. Her whole body was shaking. "Don't let me go… please!"

At those words Matt tightened his grip, while hot tears began to run down his face. He didn't know how to stop the energy. He didn't know how to save Will and to stop her pain. Then he did the only thing he could do, he held her tight. "I'm not going away," he told her, "I'm staying here with you. Even if we have to die together, I don't care. Don't be afraid, we are together, you won't be alone anymore!"

In the meanwhile the warriors had called the girls, "Hit Will all together at the same time." Endarno said.

"What!" Hay Lin exclaimed, "Are you crazy?"

"No, he's right." Himerish added. He was pale too. "There's no other way. If you want that the energy flow stops then you have to hit Will with all your strength. This way your energies and hers will clash and dissolve."

"What about Will?" Taranee asked. "What about Matt?"

"Matt will be unharmed. The energies will annihilate."

"And Will?"

Himerish didn't answer immediately. He look at them and then he looked at Will and Matt: "The energies are going to annihilate inside her body. The longer we wait, the more damage she will suffer. I don't know what will happen, we can only hope."

"I don't want to hit her." Cornelia said.

"If you don't do that the energy will consume and kill her." Endarno said. "But if you hit her maybe there is the chance that she could survive."

The girls looked at each other. They had no other choice. But what if Will had not survived… how could they face a new day, knowing that they had killed their friend, fallen in danger because of their mistakes?

"Girls! We don't have time!" Himerish cried.

"OKAY!" Irma yelled, "FOR WILL!"

"3…"

"2…"

"1…"

"NOW!"

Four energy blasts went toward Will and Matt, hitting the girl. Matt was thrown away while Will was lifted in the air by the energies' power. She was wrapped by a strong white light which slowly devoured the dark aura around her. Then the energy exploded with a deafening roar and a blinding light.

When everyone returned to see they saw that Will was on her feet, unmoving.

"She… she did it!" Hay Lin exclaimed. But her joy immediately faded. Will fell on her knees. Matt rushed and grabbed Will before she could fall completely and held her close to him.

"Will…" he whispered to her, "It's over now…"

"Yeah…" she replied weakly, "I'm so tired…"

Matt was crying. Will looked so fragile in his arms. She kept her eyes closed, but the shadow of a light smile stirred her lips. Matt gently leaned his forehead on Will's and they stayed still, listening to their own breaths. Nobody dared to speak.

"You didn't leave me…" Will said.

"I'll never leave you again" Matt told her, "Never. Now we can stay together, once you're healed. We will be happy again."

Will smiled and opened her eyes. Brown eyes, sweet and full of gratitude: "Thank you Matt, for having stayed with me… thank you…" she closed her eyes again.

"No! NO!" Matt said panicky, "Open your eyes and stay with me Will!" she inhaled deeply and whispered. "Thank you… for everything… I love you."

Her heart stopped beating and her breath slowly faded.

* * *

**And finally after something like twenty chapters Will asks for help. Sometimes it's good to ask for help from the others.**

**I'd like to let you know what I was thinking while I was writing the two Elements' confrontation: Since Elyos and Thanathos both come from the same source, their pattern of energies is similar. They can't hit each other. They can only try to hold the other back from a little time.**

**Thanathos is the darkness. In the darkness… is dark, right? Right. So you can't see a thing. You are basically alone and you have to rely only to yourself. This is why Thanathos is a selfish Element and thinks that only the strongest can survive.**

**And Elyos is the light, his opposite. So his true strength is Thanathos' opposite: hope, love and trust. But Elyos too can be a bit sly sometimes…**

**So see ya at the next chapter, which doesn't have a name yet because I still have to find a good one.**


	25. Rest in peace

**I do not own W.I.T.C.H.**

**Chapter beta-ed by XVDragon.**

* * *

**25. Rest in peace**

There was a moment of silence which lasted the time of an instant. Then the guardians' rushed steps resonated through the crypt.

"WILL!"

The reached her. Will wasn't moving or breathing. Her heart was not beating and she was pale. She looked like she was…

"No…" Cornelia cried as her hands feverishly travelled on her friend's chest, "No, it can't be… wake up, Will, WAKE UP!"

"You can't do this to us!" Irma yelled, "Please, open your eyes!"

Himerish gently moved them and took Will from Matt' arms. The boy was shocked and paler than Will. He was staring at her without really seeing her. Himerish gently lay Will down to feel her pulse. He remained silent for a long time.

"So what?" Taranee asked impatiently.

"No pulse." Himerish's answer was barely audible.

"We killed her!" Hay Lin cried with her eyes full of horror, "She's dead… and it's our fault."

"_What's happening?"_ a voice suddenly resounded. All the heads turned at the same time and saw that Lord Elyos was slowly coming toward them.

His presence among them meant that he had won his battle. But the Element looked tired and drained, his light was weaker and barely visible. The group let him pass and Elyos saw Will's body. He abruptly stopped and everyone clearly felt a wave of terror and pain crossing their hearts: Elyos' fear was so strong to dominate their own feelings.

Elyos kneeled next to the girl and put a hand on her forehead and one on her chest. He closed his eyes and focused on Will. Nobody dared to speak, or even to breathe. After what seemed an eternity the Element spoke:_ "She is not dead yet. She will survive, thanks to my power."_

"B-but she's not breathing!" Irma stammered. "Will you revive her?"

"_She is not dead. The previous efforts had stopped her heart and lungs, but her soul hasn't left her body yet. I can wake her up."_

Those were probably the most wonderful words ever heard by the girls and Matt. They began to laugh and cry, and hugged.

"She's alive!"

That's great!"

"What about Thanathos, my Lord?" Endarno asked. The group stopped rejoicing and stared at Elyos. The Element's expression darkened.

"_Thanathos felt that Will's darker desires were becoming weaker, and his bound with her fading. Rage has taken over him and he tried to destroy her, but by doing this he lowered his guard. I managed to assimilate him in my body and to put an end to the fight. Now he is inside me, trapped, and waits to be released."_

"What!" Cornelia suddenly exclaimed, "Released? That guy can't be released! He's crazy!"

"Cornelia's right," Hay Lin added, "if you let him go he will start again to haunt Will!"

Elyos didn't raise his eyes from Will. His hands lit up and so the girl's body. After a few instants her chest started to move again, a sign that Will was breathing again. Only then Elyos answered the girl:

"_Don't get me wrong, Guardians. Thanathos will be punished by us Elements. He will be judged. But he can't be kept trapped for too long, because in that way the worlds' balance could fall. The Elements don't feel any physical pain, so it would be useless to harm him."_

"What are you going to do then?" Irma asked.

"_I can't talk for my brothers too. But I will ask for sending Thanathos back to his domain of Chaos, and to keep an eye on him. And if ever in the future a new Energy Child will born, the gates between the Chaos world and your world will be closed for the period of that life, so Thanathos will never be tempted to personally intervene. Even if he will be able to influence the mortal lives as the rules have settled."_

"This doesn't sound as a great punishment." Taranee pointed out.

"The more someone is important, the harder is to asking a fair punishment for his mistakes, girls." Himerish said. "Don't worry about Thanathos anymore, there will be the Elements to deal with him."

"So can we take Will to Kandrakar now?" Matt asked. He had never stopped watching her.

"_Brave Matt, she will be taken to the Fortress soon. But now I dare to ask you to be patient and to leave for the Fortress without her."_

"What? Why?" Hay Lin asked.

"_Before leaving this Universe and to return to my world," _Elyos whispered, _"I wish to remain alone with her."_

The girls paused. After all the Element had saved Will's life. He cared for her. But it seemed that the only times he could stay with her were when Will was wounded or unconscious. The other girls had spoken to him, they'd had this possibility, unlike Will. And yet they couldn't even imagine the bond that connected him and Will. They nodded, "Will you bring her back?" they asked him. "You are not going to take her away as Thanathos wanted to, aren't you?"

"_Don't worry. Your friend is safe with me. Endarno, please, lead the girl and young Matt to Kandrakar. Himerish, please, stay."_

Endarno opened a fold and led the group into the light that brought to Kandrakar. Himerish and Elyos remained alone with Will in the silent dim light of the crypt.

"Why am I here?" Himerish asked. The Element sighed.

"_You are here to witness. To tell Yan Lin what is going to happen now. You are here because you will be one of the few to remember, because you have been Will's guardian."_

Himerish frowned, "Remember? What does it mean?"

"_Tomorrow nobody will remember the facts happened in the last hours. Will's abduction by Thanathos, what Thanathos did to Will and the last battles, they are all going to be forgotten by everyone, Will included. Everyone except the Oracle Yan Lin, Endarno and you, my friend. Endarno and you have been Will's guardians so I can't deny you the truth. And the Oracle too must know, to keep in her heart what has happened."_

"So all the others will forget?"

"_Yes. These last hours are going to be erased from their memory. They have never fought against her friend and they have never seen her fall. All their wounds will disappear along with their memories._

"What about Will?"

"_She will forget too. She will forget her encounter with Thanathos and her conversation with him, she will forget she has almost killed her friends and her loved one. She will forget what I'm going to tell her now."_

Himerish sat next to Will. Will had been very brave to have fought and won against the hatred that Thanathos had fuelled. She had defeated her darkness. But he understood Elyos' decision: everything happened was simply too much for a teenage girl; in the long run the guilt for her actions would destroyed her. It was better for her to forget the last hours, better for everyone.

"_I'm going to wake her up now. I want to say farewell to her until the right time comes. Step back, Himerish."_ Elyos said.

The warrior walked away from Will and Elyos gracefully brushed the fainted girl's eyes. After a few instants Will began to move weakly and slowly opened her eyes.

Himerish held his breath when he saw that Will's eyes where no longer brown or red. They were a clear bright blue color and they were strangely dull. Will looked around with those strange eyes and then finally looked at Elyos.

"What's the meaning of this?" Himerish asked.

"_I made her heart beating again, but her life is still in danger. Her weakness is so great that it could kill her. Will is walking between life and death now, and what you're seeing now it's a half-way between a Scion and a human being, a Scion that still maintains its body. But she won't stay like this for long, she will turn back to her life soon and the Scion which reside in her will fall asleep."_

Himerish had never seen a Scion even when he was Oracle. But now he realized how much a Scion was similar to its Element. Will's skin was glowing with a pale light just like Elyos and radiated a strange and foreign grace even if she was not doing anything. But suddenly she spoke, and she did it with a voice that was different from hers.

"_Father?"_ she asked. Himerish winced when he felt her voice directly in his mind. Elyos smile to her:

"_Yes. I so longed for our meeting, daughter."_ He told her. A tiny smile hovered on Will's lips.

"_Now we are united."_ She said.

"_Yes. But it's not the time yet. Soon we'll have to say goodbye to each other."_

For the first time since she had been woken up Will openly showed her discomfort. She struggled and grabbed the Element's vest looking at him straight in his eyes.

"_I don't want to."_ She said. A sad Elyos shook his head.

"_You still have another life to live."_

"_I don't care. I want to stay with you." _Will said again and tightened her grip. He hugged her and gently stroked her red hair.

"_Can you see, Himerish, how much wonderful, irrational and dangerous a Scion Child is? Can you feel the power? Can you feel her desires? Simply, pure and selfish like those of an infant?" _Elyos asked Himerish as he embraced the girl clung to him, oblivious of everything.

Himerish could feel it. He felt that Will's power was expanding like Elyos' one. And he felt that she couldn't control it. It was only Elyos' presence that was preventing the power from going wild. Will's magic was so strong that was creeping into Himerish's body and soul and was communicating her feelings to him. It was hard to bear such a power. A power of that kind, in a child's hands. There was nothing purer, nothing more dangerous.

"_We will meet again, little one."_ Elyos told Will, _"We'll see each other again. But I must leave now, even if it seems hard to accept. I promise that we will be together again."_

A sudden wave of sadness coming from Will ran over Himerish, who had to appeal to all his willpower to keep his cool. He closed his eyes without knowing for how long he could keep like that.

"_You… you don't want me?"_ Will asked. She shut her eyes and the air around them started to vibrate. Himerish's heart was pounding wildly in his chest as the power attacked his mind.

"_Calm down, Will…"_ Elyos told her, but she didn't stop. She was getting angry and she didn't want to listen to anyone, just like a child during a fuss. _"It's enough now!"_ Elyos repeated in a firmer tone. The magical vibration stopped abruptly and Will stood silent, occasionally shaken by a quiet crying.

"_I'd want you with me,"_ the Element gently told him, _"You must never doubt it. But you still have a lot of people who loves you in this world. Your friends and Matt have risked their lives to take you bake, do you remember?"_ Elyos wiped away her tears and Will lowered her gaze.

"_Do you remember?"_

"…_Yes."_

"_Do you really want to leave them and your family?"_

Will shook her head, sighed and bit her lower lip. For an instant she looked like the normal Will as she tried to take a decision.

"…_No, I don't want to leave them."_ She finally said. She looked at Elyos, begging him with her gaze. He nodded.

"_It's the right choice. I'm proud of you. But you must not be sad, I assure you that we'll meet again, one day. And we'll be together forever."_

"_Is this a promise?"_ She asked him. Elyos too was feeling her sadness and leaving her was tearing his heart apart. But it was not the time to take her with him, it wasn't fair for Will, for her family, for her friends, for Matt. He couldn't take her away from her home only for a selfish wish. What would have been the difference between him and Thanathos then?"

"_Yes daughter, it's a promise."_ He told her. _"Now sleep and rest, forget you pain and let peace watch over you. Sleep in peace, Will."_

Will's eyelids started to become heavier and to close as the Element spoke. When Elyos paused Will was sleeping deeply. He gently put his hands on her temples and began to erase her memories. Himerish, during the process, remained silent. He felt like an intruder in that situation, even if he had the right to stay there.

"_When we arrive at Kandrakar I'll erase everyone else's memories."_ Elyos whispered. _"I have even sealed the powers that Rifel had prematurely awoken in Will. So she can return to be a guardian and a normal girl. I trust all of you my friend, protect and watch over her."_

Himerish realized that it was time to go. He stood up and walked toward Elyos. The Element handed him Will like he had done that day during the Kandhran, and he took her. Now he wasn't feeling any aura of power coming from her. She was back to her normal self.

"So she's going back to Basiliade with me?" Himerish asked. Elyos, who was about to enter the fold, stopped and turned back:

"_Yes. You'll continue to be her guardian until you'll judge her ready to return to her life on Earth. The other girl can visit her whenever they want. After all before Thanathos directly intervened they had started to forgive themselves. And she will forgive Matt too, I know it. Her love is strong. Don't worry my friend, Things will go well."_

Himerish nodded. He thought of the just passed battle, of the acts of courage that everyone had done and that soon would have been forgotten. But not by him. And neither by Endarno or Yan Lin. They would have remembered. And who knows, maybe one day, when the right time would have come, they could hand those memories back to their rightful owners. But that was not the time. Himerish entered the fold after Elyos and was wrapped by a blinding light. He glanced a last time at the sleeping girl in his arms who was sleeping peacefully and nodded to himself. Everything would have been all right.

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**Sorry if this took so long guys. And also sorry if this chapter was a little shorter than the last ones and 'quiet'. But, hey, the story is almost finished! Only one chapter left!**

**I'm curious guys, how would you have punished Thanathos? It was hard to find something logical for him.**

**So, see ya next time with the last chapter: **_**Epilogue.**_


	26. Epilogue

**I don't own W.I.T.C.H.**

**Chapter beta-ed by XVDragon.**

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**26. Epilogue**

It had been a month since the girls and Matt had come to visit her for the first time on Basiliade.

It hadn't been easy at first. But the following days they had come back and used to stay with her for entire days. It was a little weird to be together again. It was evident that each of them was trying to pick up the pieces of their friendship, which had shattered for a reason so stupid to result almost incredible, a thief's trick.

She had missed the girls. Irma's jokes, Taranee's trust, Cornelia's remarks and Hay Lin's exuberance, she had forgotten how happy she was when she was with them. Maybe it was for that reason that it had hurt so much when they had left her. But she was trying not to think about that. She had decided to trust them as Himerish had told her. After all she too had a lot to be forgiven.

For example, her incursion in Meridian, she had almost killed Caleb. She didn't know why she hadn't aimed at his heart instead of merely stabbing him at his stomach. Rifel had always told her to kill his enemies and she had always obeyed. Maybe in the rush of achieving the mission she hadn't bothered herself in aiming to a vital point. Or maybe the reason was totally different.

She had not officially apologized to Elyon yet. She should have done so obviously, but she wasn't particularly eager to do that. Apologizing was always… hard. She didn't know how she could face those she had hurt and wounded.

She no longer had her powers. Those which Rifel had awoken with so much pain and effort, Kandrakar had sealed them. But the Heart of Kandrakar still recognized her as her Keeper, so that meant she could have been back to be a Guardian if she wanted to.

She didn't miss her powers. She had always used them to fight, hurt and kill other people, except for some rare healing. She didn't miss that strength because along with it also came bad memories.

Being back to be a Guardian… the girls wanted her back into the team. She understood why. Being back meant that things were back to normal. The five W..H. united again and stronger than ever. But she didn't feel ready. How could she… after all she had done? So Orube had taken her place temporarily.

Temporarily because she still had to decide if she truly wanted to leave once and for all or not. The Council had given her some time to think about that.

And Matt? In that month Matt had been… totally different. He had come to visit her among with the girls, but he had acted only as a friend. He hadn't forgotten what they had told to each other the first time he had come, that she needed some time and space to think and get used again to everything. He looked content even if he just stayed close to her without doing anything, he watched over her silently and protected her. He was even more gentle than before. And she, even if she hadn't told him, had appreciated everything. She blushed at the thought of the boy and her heart gently raced, while a tiny smile crossed his face. She missed him and she had decided to tell him. Soon.

She sighed. She knew why she was thinking of all that things. The truth was that she was scared to face the immediate future. What she was going to say? How she was going to react? She would have insulted her, kicked her away? Together with Himerish they had thought of a story which explained her absence:

Himerish was going to tell he had found her in a town far away from Heatherfield, hidden in a woman's house. He would have told that the woman had accepted to hide her and let her live in her house provided that Will went to her work as a cleaning lady in her place. So the woman could keep on getting her money without lifting a finger. He was going to tell that the woman wanted to stay anonymous because she was scared that her boss could discover the fraud.

She had even dyed her hair in black to support the story. In fact her red hair, with the police looking for her, was the equal of a lighthouse in a foggy night.

So many questions awaited her. Some of them were easy, and some very difficult to answer. And she wasn't even sure she had all the right answers. She had no idea about what the future war going to reserve her.

"Earth to Will, are you with us?" Orube asked.

Will was driven away from her thoughts. She took a lock of hair between her fingers and gave to it a reseigned look.

"They'll be back to see their red. Stop tormenting them." The girl playfully told her.

"Yeah… I know. Thanks anyway. For everything." Will said. Orube waved a hand:

"You don't have to thank us. It was a pleasure for us."

"Are you ready Will?" Himerish asked her. He was wearing normal clothes, a white shirt and brown pants, and an improbable forest green sweater that was the responsible of most of the incredulous glances that Will had given to the warrior during their short trip.

"Uhm… no. I don't think I'll ever be." She told him. They were all standing in front of the door of a flat that Will knew very well.

"You're ready. Trust me." Himerish gently told her. Will nodded and inhaled deeply. Himerish reached out to ring at the door, but Will stopped him.

"I'll do it." The warrior, now temporarily psychologist and Orube's uncle, nodded. Will raised a hand and stared at the door. On the other door's side there was her future. A closed door is like a book that had yet to be opened it hides words, people, and feelings. But when it's closed none of them existed. You need the courage to open your doors to move forward, even without knowing how the story written on your book will end.

Will rang at the door and footsteps sounded from the other side of the door.

And the door opened.

**End.**

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**The End! What do you say? This is probably the shortest thing ever, but I wanted to keep this epilogue as open as possible, I'm not going to show the other people's reaction to Will's return to symbolize that life can be unpredictable :P.**

**I've never wanted Will evil, I wanted her badass, so I'm satisfied that in the end she's back to her normal self.**

**A big big thank you to XVDragon who helped me to make this chapter more readable form the spelling point of view. Maybe one day I'll rewrite the first ones because (*shivers*) their grammar was terrible.**

**And thank you readers. All of you. If you enjoyed my story you then I don't regret any single minute, or hour, spent in translating this. :)**

**I had an alternative ending to this story, my first version was to not include Matt at all and to let the girls to battle Will in a total fight. The would have been able anyway to 'seal' her power in a superficial sigil, which eventually could break if Will in the future would have decided to let her negative feelings overwhelm her. Elyos would have won against Thanathos, but the power would have been impossible to silence. So in the end they would have all been forced to face and cohabit with their mistakes. **

**But then I decided that I wanted to make my first story as canon as possible so I opted for a happy ending in a more 'W.I.T.C.H. style'.**

**I'm not planning to make a sequel of this. I don't know what I'll write next, as I don't have other stories planned. I'm just going to do as I've always done, thinking and thinking until I don't get a good idea :).**


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